Star Force Adventures
by reithedragonboy
Summary: Just a story I thought of while I was listening to all of the music from Megaman Star Force. It's a different approach to how Geo and Omega-Xis met and how they saved the world. Hope you like it. Rated T to be safe.
1. The Beginning

As I already said in the summary, this story just came to me while I was listening to all of the music from the animated version of Megaman Star Force. Before you start reading, let me tell you that I do not own the rights Megaman Star Force. This is all just a pure fan fiction. I hope you enjoy it. Please give a review when you're done reading.

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**Chapter 1: The Beginning**

"Oh, boy," someone sighed as he was staring out of a window. "Here goes another boring day."

This someone's name was Geo Stellar. He was young boy of twelve and was currently a student at Echo Ridge Elementary. He was only in the fifth grade, but he already had a great thirst for action and adventure. Occasionally, he would daydream about having such adventures and think about the hardships he would run into. Of course, he didn't let it hinder his school studies and was an above average student, especially when it came to science, particularly astronomic science. Today was no exception to his daydreaming as he continued staring out of his classroom window from his desk.

He was currently wearing a red short sleeve shirt and blue shorts to help keep himself cool during this summer day with a pair of blue shoes with white stripes running along the sides. He had medium brown spiky hair that almost matched with his dark brown eyes.

"Hmm," he sighed again in boredom. "If only something amazing would happen here once in a while, maybe I wouldn't be this bored."

"Are you still complaining about being bored, Geo?" a female voice asked in a semi-stern voice. "If so, then maybe I can help you out with that."

"No thanks, Luna," he replied as he turned around to face the girl standing next to his desk. "Knowing you, you're going to try and give me something even more boring to do."

Luna, who was also twelve and was in the same grade as Geo, was very bright for her age. She was also a bit of a rich girl because of her parents being successful business owners, although she never really shows it in her attitude when she's around her friends. The way she looked and dressed, though, told a bit of a different story.

She had really long blonde hair that was tied into the two most puffiest and funkiest ponytails that one could have ever thought possible. She had on a sapphire blue shirt over a pearly white shirt with a ruffle collar, a pair of light blue pants that helped make her legs stand out, and blue ankle-high slip-on shoes to complete her ensemble. Obviously, the summer heat didn't seem to have any affect on her whatsoever. That and she really seemed to like the color blue. She also had dark yellowish-green eyes that always lit up whenever she gets an idea into her head. And that's how they looked right now.

"Oh, come on, Geo," she said with her hands on her hips. "You haven't even heard what I've got to say yet. And how many times do I have to tell you to start calling me 'Prez'? After all, I just got elected as the class president for this class a week ago so it's only appropriate that you address me that way."

"Well, I'm sorry, Prez," Geo replied as he made sure to call her by her nickname. "I just don't feel like doing whatever it is you have on your mind right now. I want to do or see something that's really filled with action. You know, the something that fills you up with the need for adventure?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know what you're talking about. I mean, what could possibly be more exciting than studying about how the technological war of the 21st century started and how both sides struggled to fight for what they believed was technologically correct?"

"See? That's exactly the kind of action that I want to see or be in. I could do without the whole war part, though."

"Oh, you're unbelievable, you know that? Who wants to be in a position where they could easily be hurt or even killed? Definitely not me, that's for sure. I really do hope that the same goes for you someday."

"Come on, Prez," another voice butted in. "Give Geo some slack here. What kid at our age doesn't want to have some kind of adventure or action in their lives?"

When they turned to see who was butting into their conversation, they saw a short kid that seemed to be in the third grade. He was really actually a fifth grader and the same age as them, but he had a bit of a stunted growth.

He had on a plain white dress shirt with an orange tie hanging on the front, a pair of green shorts held up with a plain black leather belt, and a pair of plain brown shoes. His eyes were practically the same color as Geo's, but they were hidden behind a pair of glasses. His hair was a dullish brown and it was pretty messy as if he didn't bother to comb it that morning.

"Uh, you're looking at one, Zack," Luna said to the short guy. "Not all of us girls prefer to be outside going on adventures that would put us in danger. That goes for me, too."

"That's to be expected," Zack said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Statistically speaking, most girls usually favor going shopping, being in their home, or working in an office instead of going out on adventures and discovering the many things that the world has to offer. The boys are usually the ones who enjoy getting that adrenaline rush whenever they sense some kind of action."

"Thank you for telling that to her, Zack," Geo thanked him as he turned to stare out the window again. "I don't think I could have said it better myself."

"Excuse me?" Luna asked in a disbelieving tone. "How dare you agree with him on that, Geo! Not all of us are like that. Some of us girls can get that kind of rush when something really appeals to them. And speaking of which, you're one to talk to about that, Zack. You spend a lot of your time tinkering with computers and all that other kind of stuff."

"Well, what do you expect from the president of the computer club?" he attempted to defend himself. "After all, I have to know those stuff if I'm going to be the club president."

"That's not what I'm getting at," she clarified as she crossed her hands. "What I'm saying is that you spend most of your time inside your room when it comes to fixing or updating your computer. The last time I checked, that doesn't qualify as something that's adventurous or filled with action."

"Uh, you…got me there, Prez."

"Hey, guys!" another voice called out to the three of them. "Aren't you coming? It's lunch time."

Standing next to the exit to the classroom with one of his arms waving to them was a very chubby kid. He was also a bit taller than all of the other fifth graders in his class. If one didn't know him, they would have thought that he had actually flunked a grade and was forced to repeat it because of his height. In actuality, he was the same age as the rest of them.

As for his choice of clothing, it consisted of a pair of brown shorts, a yellow shirt with a very short sleeve brown vest that had a ripped look on the sleeves, and a hat that only covered his ears and exposed most of his dark blue hair. He also had on a pair of brown shoes with yellow laces on them.

"Oh, Bud," Luna sighed as she turned to face the chubby guy. "Couldn't you wait just a couple of minutes longer?"

"Hey, lunch waits for nobody, Luna," Bud said as he walked out of the classroom. "Especially when you only have forty minutes to enjoy it. I'm going to go on ahead to the cafeteria."

"I tell you, that Bud becomes impatient whenever he gets hungry," she sighed as she made her way to the classroom doorway. "Oh, well, I am getting a bit famished myself. I'm going to go ahead and get myself a bite to eat. I suggest that you two do the same before class resumes. I'll see you later."

And with that, Luna walked out of the classroom and went to the cafeteria to join Bud for lunch. Before Geo and Zack followed her, though, Zack had a question he wanted to ask him.

"So, did you see anything interesting today, Geo?" he asked with a bit of anticipation in his voice.

"No, not really," Geo answered as he got up from his desk. "It's the same thing everyday. People are walking by the school gates doing whatever it is they need to do for the day. So no, nothing interesting is going on."

"That's not what I was talking about," he sighed. "I was talking about the other thing. You know, your ability to see things that others can't without the help of some sort of visual aid?"

"Oh, you're talking about the other world, the Wave World, aren't you?" he said with realization.

"Of course I am. You're the only guy I can ask about that since you can practically see the Wave World everyday. I really think it's pretty cool that you're able to see the technological side of our world that's invisible to the rest of us. Not everybody has that ability to do so."

"Of course they don't, Zack. It's quite rare to hear of a person in this world with that ability. In fact, many consider my 'ability' to see the wave world to be some kind of very rare sickness. So far, only you, Luna, Bud, and my parents know about that. The doctors don't know it because I never told them about it and I intend to keep it that way. After all, I do like this part of me the best and I don't want to be treated with those doctor stuff that they give you to treat it."

"Same here. Don't ever get rid of that part of you, Geo. In my opinion, that's what makes you cool in my book. Now come on, lets go and get a bite to eat."

"Alright, I'm coming."

And with all that said, the two of them made their way to the cafeteria to join up with Luna and Bud for lunch.


	2. Recent Virus Attacks

**Chapter 2: Recent Virus Attacks**

When lunch time was over, the four went to their respective classes. For Geo, that meant going into his Homeroom class while his friends went to another class. To him, this was the most boring part of school.

After spending that one boring hour daydreaming and focusing his attention at the currently uninteresting wave world, the bell rang and he was out the door before any of his other classmates were. That was because he purposely chose a seat near the door when he first started this class. That's how much he didn't like this class. He won't ever stay in there any longer than he needed to be.

Within a few minutes walk, he made it to his last, and in his opinion, most fun class of the day. It wasn't just because his friends were also in it with him, it was also covering one of his favorite subjects: Science.

"Hey, Geo," Bud called out to him as he entered the classroom. "How're you doing?"

"Alright, I guess," Geo answered as he took his seat next to the window. "I just finished coming from Homeroom. Boy, was it boring in there."

"Well, Homeroom is supposed to be the time to get caught up with your homework and do other important things," Luna said as she as she got up from her seat two rows ahead of them and came to them. "It's not suppose to be boring as you so nicely put it, Geo."

"Well, it was," he sighed as Zack came in with a laptop in his arms and took his seat. "I don't have any work to finish and all of my important stuff is meant to be at home. All I can do is sit around and have a look at the wave world around me. That really isn't a lot of fun. Besides, what work do we even have to finish today? Today is the last day of school for us before summer."

"Well, I suppose you're right there," she conceded with a shrug. "School work really isn't distributed to us so near the end of the school year. By the way, have you seen anything unusual in the wave world lately?"

"Not ever since that time the bank's security systems went on the fritz a month ago thanks to the viruses. Now that I think about it, that was the first time I've seen such a big group of viruses."

"I know," Zack said as he decided to become a part of this conversation. "But the Satella Police, a police division that specializes in virus attacks and technical anomalies, were called in and they took care of it. Everything turned out alright in the end thanks to them and the anti-virus technology they have."

"But didn't they say that it was an unusual attack?" Bud asked as he tried to recall that day. "They said something about too many viruses attacking one system at the same time."

"Well, it was an unusual thing to see so many viruses grouped together for a single attack," he admitted as he opened up his laptop and began to surf the internet. "According to the _Echo Ridge News of the Week_ website, the Satella Police are still investigating it. In one of the newspaper reporter's recent interviews with the head officer of the case, they're still trying to figure out the cause of the attack. They're also trying to find some kind of connection with the other virus attacks that were of the same nature. Of course, they haven't found any proof that such a connection exists so they can't confirm that theory as of now."

"That is so scary when you think about it," Luna said as she gave a small shiver at the thought. "The viruses could attack you at any moment and you would never know about it until it's too late. It is very strange, though, when you hear of them attacking in big groups."

"Maybe they decided to team up so they can steal the bank's money while the security system was out," Bud suggested as he thought about it.

"That's impossible, Bud," Zack said as he searched the net for the other unusual attacks. "Most viruses aren't sophisticated enough to steal money data from the banks and to deliver it to the robbers. The ones the police encountered were just your average, computer-destroying virus. Besides, the other attacks consisted of a small business, the electrical company, and a shopping mall. They all suffered different problems, but they were all group attacks. So it's obvious that the viruses aren't really after money. If they were after it, then they would have attacked every other bank in this town."

"Then what could they be after?" Geo asked out loud to himself. "What could they possibly stand to gain in doing this?"

"Well, I will say this to you three," Luna spoke up as she made her way back to her seat. "This isn't our business to speak of. Just let the Satella Police take care of it and everything will turn out fine. I'm sure that it's just a once-in-a-blue-moon thing, anyway."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Bud agreed as he went to the other side of the classroom to take his seat. "There's nothing that they can't take care of. They'll figure it out in no time."

"I suppose so," Zack sighed as he closed his laptop. "But I still find it to be very weird. I can't do anything about it now, though."

"_Zack's right,_" Geo thought as the tardy bell rang and the science teacher came into the classroom. "_This is just too strange. It only takes about ten viruses to take down a simple security system, not a whole army of them. Just what is going on in the wave world these days?_"

"Alright, class," the teacher started as he motioned for his students to take a seat. "Settle down now. Seeing that today is going to be the last day of school before summer vacation, I figured that we can just spend this last hour doing fun stuff. I shall allow you kids to do whatever you want provided that it is within school rules. Also, don't go crazy in here or you'll be doing some work for me."

"Yeah!" the students yelled out in unison as they started to get into their own little group of friends. "Thank you, teacher!"

When they heard this, Geo and his friends got together and just talked about the many things they could do over the summer as a group.

An hour later, the bell rang and they all packed up their things and rushed out the door. Deciding that they would walk home together, Geo waited at the front gates of the school for Luna, Zack, and Bud. Once they were together, they made their way home while continuing the conversation they had in class.


	3. AMAKEN

**Chapter 3: AMAKEN**

"So, what do you think we should do now that our summer vacation has officially started?" Luna asked as the group of four were walking along the sidewalks of the city. "We should do something to commemorate this day."

"Well, how about we go and eat out later for dinner?" Bud suggested as they stopped at a traffic light.

"That's actually not a bad idea, Bud," Zack admitted while he was fiddling with his glasses. "But couldn't you have come up with something else that doesn't involve food?"

"Hey, I can't think of a better way to celebrate our first day of summer than having a group dinner," he replied as the crosswalk turned green and they started to walk across the street.

"Either way, I think that's a good idea," Luna announced in a tone that made the plans sound official. "How about you, Geo? What do you think about it?"

"I think that it's a great idea," Geo agreed with the group. "However, I don't think that I'll be able to make it tonight."

"And why is that?" she asked as her voice started to sound upset and a bit aggravated at the same time.

"Because a family friend asked me to visit him after school," he explained as he purposely tried to not make eye contact with her piercing gaze. "He said that it was important and that it might run all the way into the night. So you guys don't have to wait up for me. You guys can go on ahead and celebrate without me."

"Aw, but it won't be as much fun without you," Zack whined in protest. "Are you sure that you won't be just coming late?"

"I don't think so. He was quite sure in saying that it would take a while. So I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to make it. I'm really sorry, guys. Maybe we can do something together tomorrow after lunch?"

"That sounds like a pretty good back-up plan to me," Luna said as her demeanor changed to that of glee instead of aggravation. "Then, what do you suggest that we should do tomorrow?"

"Uh, maybe we can go shopping at Wilshire Hills?" he suggested. "We haven't been there as a group in a while."

"That sounds good," Bud said with mild interest. "We haven't been there since they closed down the theater."

"Then it's good to go," Geo announced with a smile just as a bus stopped next to them. "Well, I have to go now. This bus is going to take me to where I need to be now. I'll see you guys tomorrow at the park, okay?"

"Alright," they said in unison. "We'll see you tomorrow."

When Geo boarded the bus, the doors closed behind him and it began to move. Before he took his seat, he took out an electronic device from his pocket and swiped it over an electronic sensor of sorts near the bus driver. When a light next to the sensor flashed green, he was given the okay by the driver to take a seat.

After riding in the bus for half an hour, Geo got off the bus at his intended destination. As it drove away, he looked up at the building in front of him and read the word in red block letters that were located above the doorway: AMAKEN. It was a building where most of the world's greatest technology were developed and created. They even contributed to many various space explorations and also helped with the expansion of scientists' knowledge of the vast universe and the worlds within it. In all the years he's known this place, though, Geo never actually figured out what each of the letters stood for.

"It's nice to see that you made it safely, Geo," a man's kind voice was heard from the direction of the doorway.

When Geo brought his sight down to the direction of the door, he saw a man wearing a dark blue jacket with the building's name, AMAKEN, on a patch on the front and a dark blue hat with a red tongue that said the same thing along with a pair of blue jeans. The man who was wearing said articles of clothing looked to be no older than thirty with black hair protruding out from under his hat.

"Hello, Mr. Boreal!" he greeted the man as he walked over to where he was. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, thank you," the man answered as he put a friendly hand on Geo's shoulder when he was close enough. "How many times, though, have I told you to just call me Aaron? I have known you since you were born, after all. I was also your father's best friend long before that."

"I know," he replied with a small blush. "It just comes out like that sometimes. I can't help it."

"I can tell," Aaron chuckled as he lightly ruffled Geo's hair. "It just tells me how nice of a kid you are. How about we go on inside now and talk about the reason why I called you here?"

"Alright, let's go," Geo said as he was being led into the building.

When he entered the building, he saw that the room he was in looked more like a museum's reception area than a building solely dedicated to science experiments. Of course, Geo already knew what this building was since he had come to visit Aaron on many other occasions.

"So how is the museum area holding up in here, Aaron?" he asked with great interest.

"Oh, it's going just fine," Aaron answered with a smile. "Everybody likes the idea of us putting up a museum where ordinary people can come and see some of the things we have created. It's also an opportunity for them to see what we have discovered about our universe."

"That's good to hear," Geo replied as they reached an elevator that had a black high tech security card reader next to it. "And how is everything going on with your experiments?"

"They are going surprisingly well," he answered as he took out a staff I.D. card from his jacket pocket and swiped it through the reader. "Who would have thought that one small mistake could actually help boost my progress so much?"

"Well, you know what they say: Sometimes, the greatest things come from the smallest mistakes."

"Ha, ha! You are quite right on that, Geo," Aaron laughed as the elevator doors opened and he gestured for him to enter first. "You know, you are almost just like your father. You always know how to make those around you feel good no matter how bad they were feeling."

As they were riding the elevator up to the AMAKEN offices, the two talked about various things like school and the upcoming summer vacation. Eventually, the discussion led up to Geo's dad.

"How's dad doing at work, Aaron?" Geo asked him since he's one of the few who still had full contact with his dad.

"Kevin's doing very well up there," Aaron answered with a reassuring smile. "The experiment he's working on with the crew is going well, too."

"That's good," he smiled widely. "Do you think that they'll be able to contact other life forms outside our universe with the satellite?"

"I'm not sure," he said truthfully as the elevator stopped and the doors opened. "The satellite itself is already hard enough to maintain with constant updates. However, I'm sure that as long as your father is up there with the crew, they will succeed in finding life outside of this universe."

"I hope you're right," the twelve-year-old said as Aaron led them into a room marked, "Mr. Boreal's Office".

"Anyway, here we are at my office."

"We're going to be talking in your office? It must be really important, then, if you're actually going to allow me to be inside your work area. You rarely ever let me set even one foot inside."

"Well, consider today a special treat," Aaron said with a big smile as he opened the door and allowed Geo to enter first. "Besides, my latest invention revolves around you."

"What are you talking about?" Geo asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Remember when I asked to borrow your transer last week? Well, I took it as a base for my latest invention and… Well, it'll be better if I actually let you see it for yourself. So let's hurry up and come on in."

Upon hearing the giddiness in Aaron's voice, which was unusual for him to hear coming from a grown man, Geo walked into the open doorway and into Aaron's office where most of his inventions laid hidden from everyone's eyes until the time was right.


	4. The Star Carrier

**Chapter 4: The Star Carrier**

When Geo entered Aaron's office, he expected it to have an air of neatness surrounding the room since he couldn't remember how it looked the last time he visited, which was five years ago. He imagined a nicely polished brown cherry wood desk that was very neat and organized with only a few important papers, a computer, and possibly a table lamp neatly placed on the surface. He also imagined the room itself to be spacious and neat with a file cabinet at one of the side walls and a clean wall window overlooking the park that was located near AMAKEN behind the desk.

However, the reality was quite contradictory to what he had imagined. Aaron's office was anything, but neat. Countless papers were spread across the wall tables that were located to the left of the room with a few that have fallen onto the green and blue carpeted floor. Even more papers that looked like a base for a design or invention were pinned to the walls like posters with thumbtacks of many different colors. At least the thumbtacks helped to give quite a bit of color along the bland white walls, albeit only showing themselves as small colored dots from afar.

The room itself wasn't as spacious as he had imagined, either. Except for the occasional piece of paper that was on the floor, a couple of grey file cabinets with some papers sticking out of the cabinets were sitting in the back right corner of the office. These by themselves, though, normally don't take up a lot of room. However, if you paired them up with some big machines that Geo assumed were creations that were either still being assembled or already done, but considered failures, then the room would look considerably smaller than it really was.

At least he was right about the wall window with a view overlooking the park near AMAKEN. But the table that was situated in front of it was anything, but shiny. The cherry wood table didn't have a shiny polished look to it due to having many things set upon it's surface and the light from the sun dulling whatever the objects didn't cover. The desk chair looked new, but the armchair next to the window looked a bit old from constant use. There was a table lamp set upon the desk along with a computer, but the computer's keyboard was half-covered from because of the few papers that were placed messily on the desk. There was also a metal nametag propped up at the front of the desk that read, "Aaron Boreal", in small, yellow letters.

"I'm really sorry for the untidiness of my office, Geo," Aaron apologized with a small blush of embarrassment as he followed the boy in and shut the silvery blue door behind them. "I've meant to clean up the place a couple of days ago before your planned arrival, but some really important things came up and I never really got another chance to get around to it."

"It's alright, Aaron," Geo assured him with a smile that showed he really didn't mind at all. "It actually almost looks like my room when I was six, except it was less neater than this."

"Well, is that so?" the man commented with a small chuckle. "I can only imagine how your mother got you to clean up that mess you made."

"Oh, she gave me some pretty major threats," he explained without going into any detail, "and they were pretty convincing to me at that age."

"Ha, ha! I'll bet they were. Anyway, let's go ahead and talk about why I asked you to come here today."

As Aaron was walking to his cluttered and faded desk, he motioned for Geo to follow him. When he got to his desk, he opened one of the drawers that were hidden from Geo's point of view and started to rummage through it. Geo could only imagine how untidy it was in that one drawer.

"Remember a week ago when I asked to borrow your Transer for a while?" Aaron asked as he continued to search his desk for something.

"Yeah, I remember," Geo answered with a sigh. "It's been a bit hard to do some things without it since I let you take it, though."

"Oh, come on now," he said along with a silent "aha" as he found what he was looking for. "It wasn't really all that bad, was it?"

"Well, it was a bit hard to get some of my homework done without it," he explained. "Plus, it was hard to use some of the public transportation without the identification data from my Transer."

"That's why I gave you my special identification data for you to use," Aaron countered as he stood up from his kneeling position, yet at the same time, kept what he had in his hand hidden. "As long as the scanners could pick up the part where I gave you permission to use it, then there shouldn't have been any problem."

"Those who knew me as a regular, though, easily got suspicious of me because of that."

"That part was completely out of my control. There's nothing that I could have done to help you there.

"Anyway," he continued, "I asked to borrow your Transer because I wanted to use it as a test subject in a little experiment of sorts. I wanted to see if we, the scientists of AMAKEN, could make something more compact and advanced in ability than that of the everyday, standard Transer."

"And how did it go, Aaron?" Geo asked as he felt the excitement rising up within him. "Did you come up with what you were looking for?"

"Well, let's just say that due to the many experiments we committed to it, your Transer no longer exists, Geo."

"What?!" he exclaimed in a voice that could almost be considered a shout. "Are you telling me that you took my Transer in order to try and make improvements on it, but you actually dismantled it beyond repair, instead?!"

"That's pretty much the whole story," Aaron said in a calm voice despite the fact that he had just been yelled at. "However, before you get yourself even more worked up over it, I have something else that's even better than the Transer for you."

Without waiting for another outburst from the boy, he made what was hidden in his hand known to Geo. The thing that was in his hand looked like one of those cell phones that were commonly used during most the 21st century. It was blue in color, just like his old Transer, with a black back and a clear, soft protective slip covering the entire system, but it also had a small lengthwise rectangular screen on the top with a few black buttons on a white background underneath it.

"What is that supposed to be?" Geo asked with curiosity, but also with a bit of anger from before.

"This, Geo, is the thing that will help revolutionize how we live in the future," Aaron proudly explained with a proud smile. "It is the younger brother of the Transer System and it was designed and created by me along with the other scientists here at AMAKEN. We call it the Star Carrier."

"The Star Carrier?" he repeated, his anger from before now completely gone and replaced with growing wonder and amazement. "The Star Carrier is the newest version of the Transer System?"

"That's right. With it, you can do whatever it is you were doing on the Transer System, except at a much faster speed. The Star Carrier is also more compact and can easily fit into your pocket and backpack. It's also waterproof so you don't have to worry about anything wet getting into it and malfunctioning the circuits inside. This makes it ideal for sending emergency calls or signals if you're ever lost at sea or on a sinking ship in the middle of the vast ocean. Of course, that doesn't mean that we're advising you to go swimming around a lake with it on you. Despite it's small look, this thing can actually sink pretty fast."

"That's pretty cool. Why did you decide to give it a retro look, though? It kind of looks like a cell phone from the 21st century."

"When we started to make our sketches, we already decided that we wanted to look stylish, yet also be compact and easy to store at the same time. Naturally, we turned to the designs of the old cell phones and based it's shape on it. However, it's a bit more bulkier than the phones and they don't have any flip screens and all that other special stuff that some of them had. It's all just one intact system with none of those styles that can serve many purposes like limited internet usage and the making and acceptance of phone calls and email, to name a few."

"Are there any other new features that you installed into the Star Carrier that are different from the Transer?"

"Well, there is one more thing about it that makes it really different from it's older brother. However, that program's still under construction and won't be running for at least a few more months."

"That's too bad. Could you at least tell me what makes this program different from any of the others?"

"Sorry, but that information is supposed to be kept secret from the public," Aaron said with an apologetic smile. "That also includes you, I'm afraid. Even though you're the son of Kevin, one of the AMAKEN scientists up in space, you're still considered a part of the public and are, therefore, not allowed to know about it."

"Oh, come on," Geo whined in an attempt to get the man to tell him about the secret program. "Don't be such a killjoy. Couldn't you just give me a little hint of some sort as to what it is?" "Sorry, but my lips are sealed on this one," he said as he mimicked zipping his lips closed for added emphasis.

"Oh, you're no fun when you start keeping secrets, you know that?" he continued to whine as he gave a small childish pout.

"Hey, I can't help it. It's a part of the AMAKEN secrecy policy, after all. I'm bound to it's refraining purposes that prevents us from saying anything to any outsider regarding any high priority projects. That also includes you, I'm afraid. However, I can tell you this: The Star Carrier has something else in it that makes it very unique. Since that has already been completed, I'm allowed to tell you about it. It can allow it's wielder to freely view the technological side of the world through it's screen once you activate the command to do so."

"Wait a minute," Geo interrupted him. "When you said, 'the technological side of the world', were you referring to the Wave World?"

"That's right, Geo," Aaron said with a smirk. "The Star Carrier can allow people like myself to view the Wave World through the Image Data Converter, which is a program that we installed in the form of a primary function. It doesn't give anything in the Wave World a definite form, however, and it only allows us a window for viewing purposes into that world. It also doesn't allow for real world items or people to be given a wave form."

"Then what about the Satella Police?" he asked as he remembered what they specialized in. "I know that thanks to AMAKEN, they already have the ability to see the Wave World, but how can they get rid of the viruses if they can't physically harm, much less touch them?" "By activating a program at their desired location. You see, the Satella Police, as you already know, are a special force that specialize in viral and technological problems. In order to combat the viruses, we gave them a special program that can delete them. With it, it's like they have a virtual weapon at their disposal and it's the only known way to effectively delete the viruses."

"I guess that explains it. Then again, I should have figured that you and everybody else at AMAKEN had played some major role in making the Satella Police's job possible."

"Of course we played a big part in making their jobs possible. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't be existing right now. Now, if you don't mind, let me get on to the next part. Do you know why I told you all of this despite the fact that the Star Carriers don't make a public appearance until tomorrow?"

"I'm pretty sure that it's not because you think that somebody might hijack the invention and you want an outsider like me to know of it before it does happen, right?" Geo replied in a joking manner. "No no, that's not the case at all," Aaron said as he fully caught and understood the joke. "I told you all this because the surprise that I have in mind for you revolves around you knowing what I've just told you. The surprise is that you are going to be the very first person in this entire world to have, in his own permanent possession, his own Star Carrier!"

"A-are you serious?!" he exclaimed with disbelief. "Are you actually going to give me the Star Carrier before it's officially been announced?"

"Of course I am," he simply replied as he extended his arm that held the Star Carrier to the boy. "After all, we did, with your permission, use your Transer as a base for the idea and totally dismantled it. So we all decided that it was best to give you the first perfected one. Besides, we already transferred all of your personal data into this device, so it's already been personalized for your convenience. You couldn't refuse it now even if you wanted to."

"I-I can't believe that you're actually going to give me the very first perfected Star Carrier. Thanks a lot, Aaron!"

"No problem, Geo. It's the least I can do for you after you gave us permission to borrow your Transer. Now, if you don't mind me shifting so suddenly onto another topic, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead," Geo replied with a wide smile as he kept his eyes on the Star Carrier that had just been handed to him. "Fire away."

"How did you know that the technological world was also called the Wave World? Nobody except those who work for the Satella Police or for this company should know about it."

As Aaron was voicing this question, Geo's smile faltered as he started to wonder where this conversation was leading up to and looked up from the Star Carrier to meet Aaron's gaze.

"I think my dad told me when I asked him about it a couple of years ago for the first time when he was back home on vacation," he said as he tried to recall the first time he had heard the term. "I believe he told me about it then because I had asked him about what the technological world was. That's also when he told me about its other name, the Wave World. Why do you ask?"

"I asked because that kind of knowledge," Aaron explained with an all-knowing grin, "isn't supposed to be known to you. I believe you when you say that you asked your father about it, but how did you come across the fact that the Wave World existed beforehand? The police always make sure they're tightlipped on the subject and those that work here at AMAKEN don't discuss it where the public can easily listen in on it. I don't think your father told you before that one time, either, because according to what you just said to me, that was the first time you've heard of the technological world. So tell me, how did you know about the Wave World beforehand?"

Finally realizing where the question was leading up to, Geo quickly tried to find a way out of it. However, he knew that he was already too late as he was already pulled into a corner by Aaron's amazingly good choice of words.

"Uh, is it safe to say that I have no idea?" he simply said in a questioning tone and with a shrug of his shoulders.

"If it makes you feel better, your father already told me about your ability," Aaron said in an attempt to calm him down. "I just wanted to hear it from you to make sure that it was actually true."

"Dad told you that I could actually see the Wave World?" he blurted out without really thinking about it until it was too late.

"So it is true, then," he said with a smile. "You can see the Wave World with your very own eyes and without any kind of visual aid."

"Darn it," Geo said with a defeated sigh. "I guess it's too late to tell you it isn't true, is it? You're not going to send me to those medical clinics where they try to treat this 'disease' as they call it?"

"What do you take me for, Geo?" Aaron asked in a mock hurt tone. "I don't go sending people to the doctor's office just because they have something as rare as this. Besides, I don't think I could really accept the idea of the doctors having you take all of these different types of medications and performing dangerous tests all for the sake of getting rid of something that many of this time view as a hindrance and not even contagious. Sounds like something that's way too dangerous to put someone like you through, if you ask me."

"S-so I'm guessing that's a no, then?" he asked with a hint of hopefulness in the way he phrased his words.

"Of course it's a no. It doesn't seem right for me to put you through something like that. Besides, I really don't see how doctor's actually came up with the idea that having the ability to see the Wave World is a disease of sorts."

"Who knows?" Geo commented as he began to relax. "Maybe they're all just scared of those that are different from the others."

"Does anyone else other than me and your parents know that you can see the Wave World without any type of visual aid?"

"Only my three best friends at school, Luna, Bud, and Zack, know of it. Nobody else knows."

"That's good. Let's try to keep it that way, then. The last thing we want is for your school to know and have them take you to one of those research labs that specializes in cases like this. That really wouldn't be a pleasant time for any of us."

"Naturally, it wouldn't be. By the way, how did you get my dad to tell you about my ability?"

"Oh, he just sort of accidentally let the fact slip out," Aaron explained as he made his way to sit on his desk chair. "Before you go on asking how he did that, I should let you know that your father came up with the idea of creating and installing the Image Data Converter into the Star Carrier. He even came up with the schematics for the program and sent them down to us."

"Dad's the one who invented the Data Image Converter?" Geo said with complete shock at the fact that his father actually created something like that.

"That's right," he confirmed as he motioned for the boy to sit on the armchair. "When I asked him on how he came up with the idea for such an invention, he accidentally mentioned that you were the inspiration behind it. Naturally, I asked him why and he accidentally let the secret slip."

"That sounds like dad, all right," he sighed as he took a seat. "Whenever he gets excited over something, he tends to let things slip out."

As they continued on with their conversation, it eventually led up to the things that Geo could see. He talked about how the viruses don't really have a distinct shape and that they had the appearance of small moving light bulbs. He also talked about how hard it was to constantly make sure that those he didn't know knew of his ability.

The conversation went through the afternoon and all the way into the evening. By the time they were done talking, it was already eight. As Geo got up to leave, Aaron got up and walked to the door. He then opened it and allowed Geo to exit his office.

"Thanks for being able to come here today," Aaron thanked him. "It's been a pleasure talking to you."

"The same goes for me," Geo said with a smile. "Thanks again for letting me have the Star Carrier. I'll make sure to take good care of it."

"I'm sure you will. Just remember that if you ever need anyone to talk about the Wave World, I'm right here, okay?"

"I know. Thanks. I have to get going now so I'll see you some other time."

"Okay. Be careful on the way home, Geo."

"Don't worry, I will. See you later, Aaron."

"Bye Geo."


	5. Incident at Star Gazing Point

**Chapter 5: Incident at Star Gazing Point**

As Geo was riding the bus back home, he was thinking about the things that he and Aaron were discussing earlier in the day while holding onto the blue Star Carrier in his hand. He still couldn't believe that he, of all people, was actually given the very first perfected Star Carrier on the day before it was to be unveiled to the public. He was quite happy of actually having the honor to be the first person to handle the world's current state-of-the-art portable communications device.

He also felt his spirits lighten somewhat due to the fact that someone other than his family and his closest friends know of his unusual ability to see the Wave World without the use of a visual aid. Being able to talk with Aaron about the stuff he sees going on in the Wave World and feeling no fear of having his secret being known to others was a great feeling.

"Next stop: Echo Ridge Star Gazing Point," the bus driver announced as Geo was suddenly snapped out of his train of thought. "I repeat: The next stop is Echo Ridge Star Gazing Point. For those of you getting off now, thank you for riding the Nightline Express. Please watch your step as you exit the bus."

Having already decided to go to another place before he went home, he put his Star Carrier into his pocket, got up from his seat, and got ready to exit the bus as it was slowing down. When it finally came to a complete stop and opened it's doors, he walked down the couple of steps and out of the bus.

_Well, I finally made to the Star Gazing Point,_ he thought as the bus closed it's doors and slowly drove away. _Now, I can have a clear look at the Wave World from here before the day's over._

In front of him was a small grassy hill where many people tend to have picnics or come to do some stargazing. However, it was completely devoid of any people at this time. This was how Geo liked it when he was watching the Wave World. He liked it because it allowed him to be immersed by the things that were moving around in the other world and leave him to his own thoughts.

As he moved towards the grassy hill, he saw a few bright lights relative to the Wave World moving around in a sort of frenzy way. Of course, this was a normal thing for him to see and he wasn't at all that interested in them. He has practically seen so many things that are relative to the other world that almost nothing from there really surprises him.

When he reached the top of the grassy hill, he took a seat and began to gaze out towards the sky. Another thing that he liked about this place was that almost nothing hindered the view of the sky from here. It allowed him the best spot for viewing the many things from the other world.

_I wonder if there are any other people around here who have the same ability as me,_ he wondered as he watched a couple of stray lights bouncing around the night sky for a few minutes. _It would be cool if we got together sometime. Then again, it's pretty much a long shot. Most of the people like me usually get sent to those hospitals by their parents or those who figured them out and ratted on them. I'm amazed that I have actually held out this long. Why do people feel the need to separate us from others just because of what we can see? It doesn't make much sense to… huh? What's that in the Wave World?_

The thing that pulled Geo out of his thoughts was a very strange ball of light that seemed to be rapidly coming down to where he was standing. Normally, he wouldn't have been so surprised at a sight such as this, but this was quite different. It was larger than that of the other balls of lights he has seen, it had a kind of faint blue-green aura surrounding it, and it seemed to have a definite shape. By definite, I mean a shape that you could distinguish very clearly.

_What is that thing?_ he thought in amazement as he continued to got up and continued to stare at the strange light. _I've never seen anything like it before. Is it a new type of technological being?_

Before he could get another thought in, the strange light came down and landed close to where Geo was standing. With his curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to take a look at what the thing really was. After taking a few steps in the direction where the thing landed, he managed to get a good look at it. What he saw then pretty much gave him a shock.

The ball of light that he was staring at had a very distinctive and definite form. It wasn't like anything he had ever seen before. It had a green body that was rippling and glowing within what looked to be like solid blue armor with streaks of white lining the pieces. The armored shoulder pads covered it's shoulders, it's entire torso was covered in body armor, and on it's head rested a blue helmet. Actually, the head piece didn't even look like an actual helmet. It looked more like the being's actual head with a mouth that kind of resembled a dog and bright ruby red eyes with what appeared to be it's hair, though he couldn't tell because it was also green and rippling, sticking out from the back and flowing down along his back until it ended a little past his torso armor. Overall, it was both an amazing and slightly scary sight to see.

"Wow," he unconsciously said out loud in awe as he moved closer to the strange being. "I've never seen anything from the Wave World like this before. It looks so sophisticated and nothing like the balls of light that I'm used to seeing. I wonder what's it doing here?"

As he got even closer to the being, he saw it turn it's head and look straight at him with those seemingly piercing red eyes. It's face was emotionless as it continued to stare at him as if it were studying him.

"That darn human has such a dopey look on his face," the creature suddenly said with a small lopsided grin. "Maybe it's his first time being in this town. Then again, who am I to talk about that? This is my first time here as well. If the circumstances were different, I'd probably be looking just as dopey as him."

"Whoa, you can talk?!" Geo exclaimed in shock. "I never knew Wave beings like you could actually speak."

"Huh?!" the being also exclaimed in shock as his grin quickly disappeared and his mouth fell open. "You can _hear_ me?!"

"Y-you can _understand_ me?! You, a creature that I've never seen in the Wave World until now, can actually understand me?!"

"Don't tell me that you can actually _see_ me, too?!"

"Of course I can see you!" Geo said in a matter-of-fact tone while still retaining a hint of shock. "I couldn't miss you even if I wanted to! Your blue armor and green glow doesn't really quite blend in with the other balls of light. That and your appearance has such a definite shape to it."

"You really can see me!" it exclaimed as it walked, eh, _floated_, closer to Geo until they were almost face to face. "But how? Humans like you aren't supposed to be able to see anything that resides in the Wave World, at least not without the help of some kind of visual aid! But even then, you shouldn't be able to distinguish my appearance so clearly. That's practically impossible! How are you able to see us so clearly without any kind help at all? Who _are_ you, for that matter?"

Before he could get a chance to answer that, they heard a sharp noise coming from the sky. It wasn't shrill enough to cause immense pain, but it was enough to give one a slight headache. When they both simultaneously looked up, they saw a bright flash of white light that completely blinded them. Then, they were both sent flying a few feet in the same direction and were knocked out.

When the light faded away, another Wave being was seen standing in it's place. However, this being's form and color was indistinguishable and quite grainy as if it were distorted in some way.

"That…took a lot more strength…than I thought it would," the being said with slight pain. "Either way…, I still managed to follow him all the way here. All I have to do now is find that traitorous dog…and bring him back to the king. Speaking of which, where did he run off to?"

As the being was looking around for it's intended target, he found Geo laying on his back with his eyes closed.

"A human's here?" it questioned after it managed to regain it's composure. "Eh, what does it matter? It's not like he can see me, anyway. But this is really quite strange. Where did that traitor run off to? His wave signature is what led me to this location. He couldn't have gotten very far in less than thirty seconds. If that human could see us, then I would be torturing him until he told me where he ran off to. But alas, he can't so it'd just be a waste of my precious time."

After giving the area one last scan, it decided that it's mark had indeed managed to run away. Deciding to commit his time searching elsewhere, he turned his back towards Geo and started to float away.

"Heh, it seems as though you got lucky again, you traitorous dog," it said out loud with a disturbing smile. "Your luck's bound to run out sooner or later, though. When it does, that's when you're going to regret ever turning your back on us. You better start watching your back because one of us _is _going to find you and take you back to the king and make you answer for your treasonous actions. Until that time comes, let us continue on with this enjoyable game of cat and mouse, _Omega-Xis_."

And with a small flash of light, the being disappeared and left Geo where he was and went in search for his target.


	6. The Aftermath

**Chapter 6: The Aftermath**

After being unconscious for a couple of minutes, Geo felt his eyes slowly opening. They felt heavy as if he had just woken up from a very long slumber. As much as he wanted to get up onto his feet, his body refused to do so. After giving it a couple more tries, he decided to try calling out for help. However, a cold and grainy voice prevented him from doing so.

"Heh, it seems as though you got lucky again, you traitorous dog," he heard the indistinguishable voice say with such hate that Geo thought it best to not say anything until whoever it was went away.

_Who the heck is this person?_ he thought as he closed his eyes to feign faint. _He certainly doesn't sound very friendly. Whoever he is, it's probably best to not get involved with him. Who knows what he might do to me?_

"Your luck's bound to run out sooner or later, though," he heard the person continue with the same level of hate in it's voice. "When it does, that's when you're going to regret ever turning your back on us. You better start watching out for us dog because one of us _is _going to find you and take you back to the king and make you answer for your treasonous actions. Until that time comes, let us continue on with this entertaining game of cat and mouse, _Omega-Xis_."

_Whoa, this person must really hate this Omega-Xis guy,_ Geo thought as he mentally cringed at the acridness the person put into the pronunciation of the name. _Who's this king the person's talking about, anyway? And what's all this talk about committing treasonous actions?_

Before he could wrap his mind around what he just heard, he saw a flash of light from behind his eyelids. Without thinking, he opened his eyes to see what was going on. When he turned his head to the source of the light, he caught a very brief glimpse of a grainy form in the middle of the light. Less than a second later, the light was gone and so was the mysterious being.

After waiting for a minute to see if the being was going to be coming back, he quickly got onto his feet and felt a bit dizzy from doing so. When he recovered, he took a look around to see what kind of trouble it might have caused. To his surprise, there wasn't any sign of it having ever came here.

_I can't believe that I actually survived this,_ he thought with an audibly shaky sigh. _What just happened right now was way too intense._

As he was still thinking about what had just saw and heard, he did a quick check of his body to see if there was anything that blast did to him. Thankfully, nothing was broken and he could walk just fine as if nothing happened.

_I guess it's safe to assume that the being I just saw was a Wave being, _he continued when he was done checking for injuries._ Seeing as how he disappeared in a flash of light and didn't seem to cause any physical damage when he came here, he has to be just like the one I met earlier. Specking of which, where did that green Wave being go?_

When took a look around him to find the green being, he saw that he was nowhere to be found. It was as if he managed to run away just before the grainy being came here. Either that or it was killed in the blast that rendered him unconscious.

_I wonder what happened to that green Wave being. I wonder if he actually got…(gulp)…caught by that other being. Whatever the case, he's gone now. I was kind of hoping that I could get a chance to talk to him, even though he was a bit on the freaky side. I still can't believe that there are Wave beings out there that can actually speak and understand us._

Deciding to make his way home after having being caught in the middle of two beings' argument, Geo took out his Star Carrier from his pocket and checked the time. It was thirty minutes after eight.

"Oh, nuts!" he exclaimed out loud as he looked up and saw a bus coming to a stop towards the bus stop. "I got to get on that bus. I promised mom that I'll be home by nine. I got to hurry!"

As Geo made a run for the bus stop, he quickly put his Star Carrier into his pants pocket and put the memory of the incident into the back of his mind. If he weren't in such a rush at the time, he might have noticed some strange quiet moans of pain coming from the device.

Thanks to his fast legs, he managed to make it onto the bus just before it closed it's doors and arrive back at his house just a little before nine. It was also due to the fact that the bus actually had a designated stop just one block away from where he lived that he was on time.

The house that he lived in was pretty much a normal-looking one. It had a nice tan color on the outer walls and was two stories high. It also had a nice flowerbed filled with many types of flowers surrounding the walls of the house. The perimeter of the house was protected by a decorative black bar fence that seemed to add to the beauty of the house instead of impeding it.

When he approached the front door, he began to rummage around in his pockets for his house keys. Once he found them, he picked out the right one from the chain and inserted it into the keyhole. With a quick and easy turn, he heard a click and he pushed the unlocked door opened.

"Hey mom, I'm home," he called out into the house as he went in and closed the door behind him.

"Hello, Geo," a woman's cheerful voice responded back. "I'm in the living room right now."

After he made sure to properly lock the door behind him, he went into the living room to properly greet his mom.

Geo's mom, whose name was Hope, was a pretty woman who was in her mid-thirties, yet she naturally looked younger than that. She had shoulder length dark brown hair and had brown eyes. She was a thin woman who had a great liking for cooking and baking. She was currently wearing a plain purple shirt and a pair of blue jeans. Right now, she was relaxing on the couch and watching the nightly news on the flat screen TV that his family just recently bought.

"How was your day with Aaron today?" she asked as she turned to face her son with a smile.

"It was great," he replied with a big smile. "We talked about a lot of things today. We talked about how school was going for me and what I was planning to do during the summer vacation. He also told me a bit about some of the projects he was working on right now.

"Oh, and guess what, mom?" he added excitedly. "Do you know what Aaron gave me today?"

"I don't know, but judging from the way you're acting, I say it must be something very good."

"You bet it is, mom! He actually gave me the latest piece of technology that AMAKEN has created before it's intended public announcement tomorrow. He gave me the first perfected Star Carrier!"

As if he was trying to prove what he was saying, he pulled the Star Carrier out from his pocket and showed it to his mom.

"Well, wasn't that nice of him?" she replied with a smile as she gave the device a good look. "Did you thank him for it before you left?"

"Yes, I made sure I did. Well, I'm going to go up to my room now and start testing it out. I'll probably be in there for the rest of the night so I won't be coming back downstairs."

"Okay, then. Are you sure you don't want anything to eat before you do so, though?"

"No, I'm alright. I already had a bite to eat back at Aaron's office, so I'm not really hungry."

"Alright, then. If you do get hungry, though, there's some dinner from tonight in the fridge."

"Alright. Thanks, mom."

"You're welcome. Make sure you don't play around with the Star Carrier too much and go to bed too late."

"I won't. Goodnight, mom."

"Goodnight, Geo."

Then, with a slight jog across the living room, he went past the kitchen and dining room and went up the stairs to the second floor where his room was located.

"Hmm, Geo's turning out to be a lot like you, Kevin," Hope commented out loud as she watched him go up the stairs. "Whenever he gets something new, he just has to immediately try it out."

"Oh, yeah," Geo said as he walked back down to the base of the stairs. "Aaron told me to tell you that dad is doing alright up there in the satellite, mom. He also said that it'll be a little while before he'll be able to come back home."

"That's good to hear," she happily replied. "Thank you for giving me Aaron's message, Geo."

"You're welcome, mom." he said as he began to walk back up the stairs again. "Goodnight now."

After a second or two had passed, Hope's smile faltered a bit and took on a bit of sadness as she thought about her husband busily working up in space.

"I hope you'll be able to come home soon, Kevin," she said out loud with a sigh as she briefly looked up to the ceiling after hearing a door from upstairs close shut. "Geo and I miss you so much."

She then turned back to the news broadcast as an interesting piece of news caught her attention. Apparently, there was a small incident that happened nearby not too long ago. It happened at Star Gazing Point and it seemed to be a matter for the Satella Police to handle since the news camera was currently at the scene showing live footage of the police committing a thorough investigation the area.


	7. The Wave Being OmegaXis

**Chapter 7: Omega-Xis, the Wave Being**

When Geo went into his room, he closed the door behind him. Then, he took off his shoes and placed them right next to the door. He then went to his bed and laid flat on it with his socks still on.

His room was like every other twelve-year-old's. It was not completely messy, yet it was also not the neatest. Some articles of clothing were scattered along the floor and his desk had a few loose papers lying on top of it. His bed, which laid underneath a glass ceiling and next to a glass wall with an assessable doorway that led to a balcony, was slightly made and had pretty much nothing on it. Overall, his room was much more neater and maneuverable than that of Aaron's office.

As he sat down on his bed, he took out his Star Carrier and began to play around with it in order to get familiar with it. However, before he was even two minutes into figuring out it's functions, he suddenly felt really tired.

_It's probably from the really long day I had today,_ he thought drowsily as he gave a small yawn and got up to go to his closet. _That and I had a pretty wild night. Maybe I'll figure out the Star Carrier's functions tomorrow and just go to sleep._

With that in mind, Geo opened his closet door and took out his pajamas from the slightly cluttered area and began to change. When he was done changing, he threw his day clothes in the hamper that was across the hall from his room and closed the door for the night. Then, he turned the lights off and climbed into his bed with his Star Carrier laying next to him on top of the covers. Within a couple of minutes, he was fast asleep and lightly snoring.

About a couple of hours later, it was almost midnight and Hope had already went to bed thirty minutes ago. Geo was still sound asleep with his Star Carrier now tightly in his hands as he slept. He was dreaming about the events that happened at Star Gazing Point earlier in the evening.

Suddenly, a slight moan of pain sounded from somewhere within the room. It wasn't really loud so Geo just slept through it. The moan made itself known again, this time a little bit louder. Then, a blinding flash of light filled the room for a good three seconds before it disappeared.

This was more than enough to pull him out of his sleep and make him somewhat awake. From the bright light, a Wave being was seen floating in the middle of the room looking at it's surroundings. It then floated towards the balcony with a slight awkwardness in its movement and went through the glass door.

_Oh, I must be dreaming, _he groggily thought as he turned over on his side and pulled the covers over his head with a loud yawn. _This is all in my wonderful little dreamland…_

Not even two seconds later, he quickly pulled them off, causing them to fall completely onto the floor. As he sat upright on his bed, he immediately looked over to the balcony where he saw the Wave being go to last. To his amazement, it was the same green Wave being that he saw at Star Gazing Point earlier and it was leaning against the railing of the balcony!

_Oh my god!_ he mentally shouted, his mind now fully awake and aware. _That's the Wave being I saw earlier this evening! I can't believe it! He's actually here floating around on my balcony! How the heck did he know how to get to my house, though? Did he follow me here or something?_

As he was busy debating this in his mind, he saw the being's mouth moving as if he were talking to someone. Curious as to what he was saying yet also not wanting to be caught by him, he slowly and quietly opened the glass balcony door just a crack. Thanks to that, he was able to barely catch the words he was saying.

"…get myself into this?" he heard the being say. "One moment, I was trying to get away from the others. The next thing I know, I run into a kid who can actually see and hear me. Just how is that possible? Oh, the things I get myself into.

"I still can't believe that they were able to follow me so closely. I haven't even been on this planet for more than a minute and they already pinpointed my location. How the heck did I escape from them, though? The last thing I remember is that flash of light he used to cause me to black out. Everything else in the middle is unaccounted for. How did I end up in this house? More importantly, how did I end up in the same house as the kid who could see and hear me?"

As Geo was listening in on what he was saying, he found himself wondering the same question. If what he heard from the being was true, then just how did he manage to unconsciously follow him to his house?

"Maybe it's because of that weird device the kid had with him at the time," the being continued. "When I came to, I noticed that I somehow entered some sort of complex system. It seemed new because everything inside looked new and clean. Maybe that blast managed to knock me into that system. That would explain how I got here and why I'm not with them being harshly interrogated and tortured."

At the sound of the words "interrogated" and "tortured", Geo suddenly had a sneaking suspicion as to who the Wave being was. With the thought so suddenly hitting his mind, he gave a small shudder and accidentally hit the window lightly. However, that slight sound was more than enough to have the being turn around in surprise and see who was behind him.

"Who's there?!" he called out in a rough, yet somewhat frightened, way.

Once he figured out that it was only Geo watching him, who was quite taken aback by the outburst, he calmed down and gave a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about that, kid," he apologized as he floated to where Geo was. "You okay?"

"Uhh, I think I am," Geo responded as he put one of his hand over his chest. "I'm not sure about my heart, though. You really gave me a scare when you shouted so suddenly like that."

"Well, excuse me for being just a bit jumpy right now," the being replied sarcastically.

"I refuse to comment on that," he said in an equally sarcastic tone. "Anyway, my name's Geo. What's yours?"

"It's Omega-Xis."

_So I was right, _he mentally said to himself. _This Wave being's name _is_ Omega-Xis._

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Omega-Xis," he greeted the alien as he pretended to still be a bit shaken up.

"Likewise," Omega-Xis replied with a small grin. "Or so I would like to say if the circumstances were different."

"What are you talking about?" he inquired at his strange choice of words. "How could they be different?"

"It has nothing to do with you, kid."

"Are you sure? You are right now talking to me and the both of us were involved in the same incident that happened earlier this evening. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with me whether I like it or not. And stop calling me 'kid'. I already told you my name. Start using it."

"I find names to be nothing more than a social title," Omega-Xis said with very little interest. "It holds little to no meaning whatsoever for me. Mine's just happens to be a war name so other Wave beings can easily identify me. Besides, I don't know why you say that the incident has something to do with you. I can't think of any reason as to why it should."

"Well, I did happen to overhear what the other Wave being said before it disappeared," Geo explained while trying to ignore the Wave being's comment on names. "It said something about you committing some sort of treasonous act and running away from some king."

"So?" he said with a snort. "That still doesn't explain how that has anything to do with you."

"The Wave being also said something about trying to get the info about your whereabouts from me through the use of torture," the boy continued with a shudder at the last word. "It doesn't know that I could actually see you yet, so it just left without giving me a second thought. But when it does figure that I can…, That's why I'm saying that this has something to do with me."

"Well, what do you know?" he mused once Geo was done explaining things to him. "If what you said is true, then you're right. In their eyes, this does have something to do with you. But still, even if you are right on that, so what? What does this one event have anything to do with you?"

"That's just it. It has nothing to do with me. However, I think those that are pursuing you would have a different interpretation on that. Once they figure out that I can see you guys, they'll be searching for me to try and get some info that I don't have out of me."

"So what are you proposing that I do? Do you want me to tell you everything about myself and where I'm about to go to next?"

"No, that's not what I'm suggesting at all! What I'm trying to say is that it would probably be safer for the both of us to just stick together until this whole thing blows over."

For a while, the two of them stood still and were very quiet. Omega-Xis was busy turning the proposal around in his head while Geo was waiting for his answer. The silence was somewhat awkward since they were both total strangers and they already had their first conversation, albeit a grim one, before they could even get a chance to know each other better.

"Are you insane or something?" Omega-Xis asked with a what-the-heck look on his face, officially breaking the semi-tense silence. "Are you actually suggesting that I should be with you for the time being while those guys are out there feverishly looking for me?"

"That's pretty much it in a nutshell," Geo confirmed with a small shrug. "I mean, I don't see any other way around it."

"Oh, I do, Geo," he said in a tone that clearly said that he didn't approve of the idea. "How about you run away from home while I make my way away from this planet? That way, they won't be able to do any kind of harm to any of us because they won't be able to find us."

"Oh, come on, Omega-Xis!" he said with a hint of frustration in his voice. "You know that idea is nowhere near practical nor realistic. I, for one, can't run away from home. I've got nowhere else to go to. You can't possibly run away from this planet while escaping their eyes, wither. From what I've heard you say to yourself earlier, those guys were surprisingly quick in figuring out where you were. You got lucky this time because I just happened to be nearby. But what about next time? Are you going to be so lucky next time? Would there even be a next time for you if you try to escape this planet with them hot on your tail?"

With a small growl, the Wave being turned his sights away from the boy who was giving him this stupid lecture. As much as he hated to admit it, though, Geo had a very valid point. He couldn't possibly get as lucky as he did this evening. If they were as quick in catching up with him while he was running as they were earlier, then he would be in big trouble. He also knew that Geo couldn't possibly run away from home. He was still a kid and probably wouldn't be able to get very far. That and the guys that were chasing him might start killing the kid in an attempt to figure out where he was going. No mater how much he tried to deny it, he had to admit that it wouldn't leave a very good feeling with his conscience.

"Alright," he replied with a defeated sigh. "You win, Geo. I'll go ahead and stay with you until this is all over. Don't think that I'm doing this because I want to, though. I'm doing this because I have to."

"It's fine by me," Geo answered with a grin. "As long as you're planning to stay with me, everything should be okay."

"Well, that's very optimistic thinking."

"Hey, at least I try," he said with a small frown. "By the way, when morning comes, do you think you can tell me a little bit more about the other Wave beings that are chasing you?"

"It depends," Omega-Xis said with a stifled yawn. "Right now, I'm really tired and my wound from earlier still hasn't completely healed, yet. If everything's good tomorrow, I'll probably tell you then. I'll see you later."

Before Geo could say another word, the Wave being had already disappeared from his view and went back into the Star Carrier where he woke up in.

Figuring that he wasn't going to get anything else out of the guy, he quietly got back under his covers and put the Star Carrier back on top of it. He then tried to fall back to sleep, but it proved difficult since he couldn't get the conversation out of his head. After a half an hour of tossing and turning, he finally managed to fall asleep.


	8. The Next Day

**Chapter 8: The Next Day**

When morning finally came around, Geo slowly woke up from his sleep. With a yawn, he sat up on his bed and stretch his arms. When he looked at the clock that was on his desk, he saw that it was already ten.

_Boy, I must have been really tired, _he thought with another yawn. _Even for a vacation day, I don't usually sleep in this late._

Just then, a knock on his door snapped him out of his thoughts.

"It's me, Geo," Hope's voice was heard coming from the other side of the door. "May I come in?"

"Yeah, of course," he replied as he got off his bed and stood up. "You can come on in."

After receiving permission to do so, she opened the door and brought half of her body inside his room.

Today, she was wearing a nice pink shirt with a button collar and a pair of purple pants. Her hair was braided up until her neck and had a blue hair tie to keep the rest in place. She also had a purse in the hand that Geo could see.

"Did you have a hard night's sleep last night," she asked. "I kind of heard you talking in your sleep a bit last night when I went to get something from the living room. Is everything going alright with you and your friends?"

"Uh, y-yeah, everything's great with them, mom," he said as he tried to recall what happened last night. "I just had a bit of a nightmare, I guess. It was probably a pretty bad one."

"Well, as long as it's just a dream and nothing more. Anyway, I'm going to go shopping right now for tonight's dinner. Once I'm done doing that, I'm going to drop the groceries off in the kitchen and I'll be at a friend's house. I'll probably won't be home until around dinner time. If you're planning to go out with your friends, make sure you lock the door before you leave."

"Alright, I got it," he assured her. "I'll make sure the door's locked if I plan on leaving the house."

"Good. Well, I'm going now. You be good today, you hear me?"

"I will, mom. See you later."

"Bye."

And with that, Hope disappeared from the doorway and was heard going down the stairs. Within a few seconds, the sound of the front door opening and closing signaled her leave of the building.

While Geo was busy searching his closet for some clothes to wear, he remembered the promise he made with his friends yesterday. They were to go and meet up at Wilshire Hills for lunch.

"Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot about that," he scolded himself as he took out a pair of blue shorts and a green shirt. "We're supposed to meet there for lunch."

As he was walking to the bathroom with his change of clothes, his mind wandered to the events of last night. Was the conversation he had with this Wave being called Omega-Xis real or was it all just a dream? It seemed way to surreal to be anything, but a dream. But if it was real, then what did this mean to him?

Once he was done showering and brushing and had changed into his day clothes, he went back into his room and started to put on his shoes.

"Maybe everything that happened last night was a dream," he concluded out loud. "I mean, when I think about it, is it really possible that I actually talked with a being of the Wave World? Did the things that I saw last night really did happen?"

"It sure as heck did," a voice suddenly cut across the empty room, scaring the living daylights out of Geo.

"What the…!" he nearly shouted in fright at the sudden appearance of a voice. "Who are you?!"

"Oh, come on, kid," the voice said with mock hurt. "Don't tell me that you already forgotten me? Maybe I'll give you a little refresher course. The name's Omega-Xis. Does that ring a bell?"

And with that said, the Wave being came out of the Star Carrier that he was resting in and made himself known to Geo. He had his arms crossed and seemed to be a bit annoyed.

"Omega-Xis!" Geo exclaimed as he nearly tripped from getting up too fast. "You're really here!"

"Of course I'm here," Omega-Xis replied sarcastically. "Where else would I be while those other Wave beings are chasing me down like a stray dog?"

"So then, everything that was said last night was really true?" the boy asked for clarification.

"Yes, everything that we discussed last night really happened," the Wave being said with an agitated sigh. "Are all you humans like this?"

"Like what?"

"From the moment you woke up, you've been doubting yourself. Until you heard me say something to you, you managed to convince yourself that everything that happened last night was nothing more than a meaningless dream."

"Well, if you were in my shoes, then you would probably be doing the same thing. I mean, how would you act if I somehow made it into your world?"

"I know that I wouldn't be acting as dopey as you have been. I would have had some sense as to what was really true."

"Look, let's just drop it, okay?"

"Gladly."

"Anyway, are you feeling any better this morning?"

"Yes, I am, thank you," Omega-Xis answered honestly without any sarcasm or agitation. "My wounds have healed up nicely and I haven't had such a good night's sleep in weeks."

"That's good to hear," Geo replied with a smile. "By the way, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead. It's not like I've got anything else better to do."

"How long have you been running from your pursuers, Omega-Xis?"

"Probably for a good couple of months, I'll bet. I haven't really been keeping count of the days since I started running. I never imagined that they would be this persistent, though."

"What did you do to them to make them so angry with you?"

"It's not a matter of what I did to them. It's what I chose to do that was against my planet's wishes. That's what got me into trouble."

"Would you mind telling me what it was that you did?"

"Sorry, kid. That information is seriously not for you to be concerning yourself with. It's got nothing to do with you. Besides, I don't really want to talk about it. Let's move on to the next question."

_He really doesn't want me to know what he did, huh?_ Geo thought with some suspicion running around his head. _He seemed really eager to change the subject there. Oh, well, he'll probably tell me when he's ready to tell me. He doesn't seem to be budging on that subject anytime, anyway. It's strange, though, how he automatically became defensive about it._

"Alright, then," he continued on with a shrug. "What's the name of the planet that you came from?"

"You've probably never heard of it," the Wave being commented with a smirk. "It's called the FM planet. It's where FM aliens, otherwise known as FM-ians, such as myself, are born. It's a planet that borders somewhere on the edge of this galaxy."

"Did you say that it's a planet? If that's true, then how is it that we don't know anything about it? With the technology we have here, we have discovered so many other planets that border our galaxy."

"That's because my home planet is made entirely out of Electromagnetic Waves, or EM Waves for short," he explained. "It's basically the same thing that they have here on Earth in the Wave World. It can't be seen by the naked eye nor can any machine that you have here can detect it. However, I'm willing to bet that you're the exception to that case."

"Well, I'm not sure on the machine part, Omega-Xis."

"What are you talking about, kid? There's no way you humans are that sophisticated enough to create something like that."

"Actually, that's where you're wrong," Geo said with a knowing smile. "You see, I know of a family friend who is an inventor of sorts. One of the things he's invented is something called a Star Carrier. That's the thing that you seem to be calling your home for right now. Anyway, he said that he managed to create a system for us to use in order to successfully see the Wave World. The device just went on sale today. I was given mine as a present."

"Now isn't that interesting?" Omega-Xis mused over the new facts he had heard. "You humans really did create something like that?"

"Yep. I haven't tested it out yet, but he wouldn't have told me about that if it didn't work. He's the type to keep secrets about his work and any installments to any state-of-the-art technology."

"Sounds like a genius, alright. What's his name? I would like to see some of his other works sometime."

"His name is Aaron. I'll let you figure out the last name for yourself."

"Hey, no fair!" the FM-ian said in a childish tone. "I told you some things about me. Don't you think it's time for you to return the favor?"

"Well, you were the one who decided to not tell me something," Geo replied as he smiled at Omega-Xis' unusual childish behavior. "It's only fair that I get to do the same thing."

"Why do I get the feeling that I just got touchéd?"

"Because you did get handed a touché. Anyway, let me ask you one more question. Of all the places that you could have ran to, why did you choose this planet?"

For a while, Omega-Xis didn't say anything. It was as if he himself was trying to find the answer to that question.

"I'm sure that this may sound weird to you," he started after a few seconds of silence, "but I felt some kind of tug to come to this planet. I can't really explain the feeling, but it was as if something from here was calling to me."

"That's strange," Geo replied. "Do you know anyone from here that might have called you?"

"Don't be crazy, kid. We FM-ians don't live anywhere outside of our home planet."

"Then what could have called you here?"

"I don't know and frankly, I don't care. All I know is that those guys are right now out there looking for me."

"Well, they surely can't be looking for you right now. After all, it's already…, eleven?! Oh, no! I'm going to be late!"

"Late for what?" Omega-Xis asked with a confused look on his face.

"I have to be somewhere by lunch today," Geo explained. "If I don't go now, I'll be late for sure!"

"Wait a minute," the Wave being said with a hint of worry in his voice. "What did I just say about those guys that are looking for me? You're not planning on leaving me alone in this house, are you?"

"Of course not," he replied as he caught the worried tone. "That's why I'm planning on taking you with me through the Star Carrier. Were you scared that I was going to leave you here?"

"I-I wasn't anywhere near scared! I was just…concerned, is all. Besides, is it really that much safer to be with you than by myself?"

"Hey, don't forget: Even though it's highly doubtful, they might be looking for me out there, too. I at least need someone who can identify which ones are the bad guys."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. Alright, fine. I'll go with you. Just make sure you don't do anything stupid out there."

"Don't worry, I won't," Geo sighed as Omega-Xis made his way back into the Star Carrier that was now in Geo's pant's pocket.

After he made sure he had everything, Geo went downstairs and got his house keys from the dining room table. He then exited the house and locked the door behind him and made a run to the bus stop in an effort to catch the next earliest bus to Wilshire Hills.


	9. At Wilshire Hills

**Chapter 9: At Wilshire Hills**

By the time Geo made it to Wilshire Hills with Omega-Xis in the Star Carrier in tow, it was fifteen minutes before twelve. It was a good thing he caught the bus before it left his neighborhood, otherwise he would really be late and would have to face Luna's endless speech on punctuality and all that other good stuff. That was something he did not want to go through right now.

While they were still riding on the bus, the two of them found out that Omega-Xis was able to communicate with Geo from within the Star Carrier. However, that also meant that people around them could also hear the Wave being speak. It was a risk the being was willing to take, though, since he didn't want to keep coming out just to talk with one guy. It was more trouble than it was worth to do that.

Now that Geo was at his destination with a little time to spare, he decided to walk to the shopping center at a slow pace with his Star Carrier in hand. When he did that, though, Omega-Xis, from inside the device, was starting to complain about being somewhat bored.

"Hey, Omega-Xis?" Geo asked the Wave being in an attempt to stop his complaining. "Do you mind if I call you 'Omega' for short?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever," he replied in complete boredom as he ignored most of the question. "What's the point in hanging out with people that you call your friends? I don't really see much gain in it for you in the long run."

"Omega," Geo said in an indescribable tone, "that's not how it works. You hang out with friends simply because you want to. It's not about trying to gain something from them. It's about having a good time and creating great memories that you can look back at with a smile."

"Are you sure about that, kid?" the Wave being said in an unbelieving tone. "Sure, they may be nice to you and all that right now. But later on, they'll turn on you. They'll start asking you of things that you can't possibly deliver, yet they still expect it of you. When you can't do what they want you to do, they'll start to get agitated and demand more. After that, they'll just stop caring about you and start to ignore you like you never even existed. That's how life works."

For a moment that seemed like hours, the two of them were completely silent. Except for the sounds of the passersby moving along to their destination and conversing with each other, it was uncomfortably silent between the two of them. Then, Geo decided to break the silence.

"O-Omega…," the boy stuttered in shock. "H-how could you say something like that? That's not how friends are. I mean, sure, there are a few people who actually act like that around here."

"See?" Omega interrupted him as he tried to prove his point. "Even you admit to it yourself."

"However," he continued, "most of us treasure the friendship that we have with each other. We sometimes ask one another to do certain things for each other. On some occasions, we can do it; at other times, we cannot. From it, we learn the limitations of each others strengths and discover our weaknesses. We never try to push each other into doing things that we already know that they can't do. Most of us would never forsake our friendship just because our friends can't do exactly what we asked them to do. Surely you can see that, can't you?"

Once again, the silence dominated the two of them with Omega pondering on the words he heard.

"Hmm," he sighed out after a few seconds of silence. "The way you phrased every word in your explanation makes it seem like you're being very sincere about this thing you call friendship."

"Of course I'm being sincere on it," Geo replied in an effort to convince the Wave being's mind on the subject. "I couldn't be insincere about it even if I tried. It's the one way that our society here on Earth can truly survive. Surely, that's how you survive on the FM Planet, too?"

"Fortunately or unfortunately, we don't. All we need to do in order to function normally is to communicate with each other. Nothing more is needed in order for us to survive. We see this thing you call friendship as nothing more than a mere distraction for us.

"Don't get me wrong," he continued on. "I'm not saying that your ideals are completely wrong. It's just that it's very hard for someone like me to comprehend. You may think whatever you want on the subject, but I still feel that making and having friends around you is nothing more than trouble and wasted efforts along the road. In the end, all it'll have earned you is pain and misery. That's my two cents on it and I'm sticking to it."

"I guess there's no way to change your mind on it, is there?" Geo replied with a sad sigh. "I suppose I'll just settle for you knowing how I feel on the subject. Just as a closing remark, though: At least try to be friends with me. Can't you see that I'm trying to become one with you? Why do you think I came up with the nickname 'Omega' for you earlier?"

As Omega was trying to find a counter argument, he found that he couldn't really make one. It was as if his brain had turned off in the most crucial part of a battle and he was allowing his enemy to win.

_The kid's pretty darn persistent,_ he thought with a roll of his eyes as Geo put the Star Carrier back into his pocket. _He refuses to let go of the subject nor does he want me to continue thinking this way. I don't see the point he has in doing that. He even has the gall to give me a stupid nickname in an attempt to become friends with me. I don't see a need for us to become friends. Why is it, then, that I can't think of anything to say back to the kid? Is it because I feel, somewhere in my heart, that he's actually right? Is it possible that I'm starting to… Nah. That's impossible. I'll never try to make friends with anybody ever again. Not since that one time three years ago… That's how I came to be like this in the first place._

"Are you okay, Omega?" Geo asked with concern in his voice. "You've been pretty quiet for a couple of minutes now."

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered gruffly. "I'm just thinking unnecessary thoughts now because of you."

With a small snicker, Geo approached a small set of stairs that would lead him to the shopping center where he was to meet his friends.

_I suppose I could learn to be…somewhat tolerable with the kid. After all, If I'm going to survive the time we're going to be together, I might as well learn to get used to him._

As Omega continued to be lost in his thoughts, Geo walked up the set of stairs and saw his friends waiting for him at the front of the mall.

"Hey, guys!" he called out cheerfully to them with a wave of his hand. "Sorry if I'm a little late."

"Don't worry, you're not," Zack, who was busy fiddling with something in his pocket, replied. "We all just got here not two minutes ago ourselves."

"Yeah," Bud, who also seemed to be fiddling with something in his pocket, said. "Knowing you, though, you're rarely late to anything."

"Which is a good thing, I might add," Luna, who was not fiddling with anything in her pockets, added cheerfully. "It just goes to show that he'll grow up to be the perfect gentleman. Unlike some other people I know."

As she made that last comment, she was staring right at Bud who was starting to get a bit red in the cheeks.

"W-what are you looking at me for, Prez?" he stuttered as she continued to stare at him. "I didn't do anything."

"Oh, by the way, Geo," Zack said as he pulled something out of his pocket and kept it hidden. "Guess what the three of us got this morning?"

"I don't know," he replied. "What did you guys get?"

"Trust me, you won't believe it," Bud excitedly butted in once he escaped Luna's gaze. "It's just the coolest thing ever!"

"Even I have to admit that it's really worth getting," Luna added. "In fact, it's quite the upgrade to what we were used to before."

"Would you guys just tell me what it is you got?" Geo asked with a bit of annoyance. "It must be amazing if you're keeping me in the dark for this long."

"Well, believe it or not, we all got our own Star Carrier!" Zack cried out as he and the other two pulled out the said devices from their pockets and showed it to Geo. "Aren't they cool or what?"

"Wow, you guys actually managed to get one, too?"

"What do you mean by 'too'?" Luna asked. "Does this mean that you also got one?"

"Of course," he replied as he also pulled out his Star Carrier and showed it to his friends. "Here it is."

When the Luna, Bud, and Zack took a look at his device, they all gave a face of amazement at what they saw on his screen.

"Hey, Geo," Luna inquired, "I don't know if it's just me, but I think there's something in your Star Carrier."

"What are you talking…" he stared as he suddenly remembered that Omega was still in the device! "O-oh, that thing! It's nothing. I-it's just a…temporary computer glitch thing that the store clerk said would disappear over time. It's nothing to get all concerned over."

"What are you talking about, kid?" Omega said from within the device. "I'm not some kind of glitch. I'm a Wave being, for crying out loud! I thought we already settled on that this morning?"

"Quiet, Omega!" Geo shushed him in an attempt to keep him quiet, but it was already too late.

"Whoa, that thing can talk?!" Bud nearly shouted out in astonishment. "What is it?"

"Are you sure it's not just one of those virus things that only you yourself can see?" Luna asked as she continued to stare at Omega.

"I doubt it," Zack said as he gave Omega a close examination. "He looks a bit to sophisticated to be a virus. According to pictures of viruses donated by the Satella Police, most viruses usually have a pretty weak and small body. They're never as big as this. They also most certainly don't have any type of access whatsoever to a individual's Transer, or in this case, a Star Carrier. Besides, Geo's not the only one able to see this. I'm sure the three of us can see it quite well."

"H-hey," Omega stuttered at all the attention he was getting. "What am I, some sort of rare artifact on display at a museum here?"

Before anyone could make a remark on that, the five of them heard a blast coming from somewhere nearby. Then, they saw people starting to run around like crazy in all different kinds of directions.

"What's going on around here?" Zack asked as the ground rumbled from another blast. "What's with all the explosions?"

"Do you think that it's another one of those virus attacks?" Bud suggested as the blast started to come closer.

"Whatever it is, it seems to be coming this way," Luna observed as the blasts were, indeed, getting closer.

"Come on, everybody!" Geo shouted as he began to run towards the stairs. "We have to get out of here now!"

Before the other three had time to react, a blast appeared between Geo and his friends. The blast was so strong, it pushed his friends into the store wall. For Geo, it threw him down the stairs and forced him to land on his back. Thankfully, he landed in a flowerbed so his fall was somewhat broken.

"Jeez," he groaned as he tried to slowly sit up and ended up leaning back on his hands. "What the heck was all that?"

"Taurus," Geo heard Omega whisper next to him.

When he turned his head to the left, he saw the Wave being floating right next to him and out of the Star Carrier.

"What did you say?" he asked for clarification. "Who did you say was causing all this?"

"It's Taurus," Omega repeated with of hint of worry in his voice again that he carefully masked. "He's one of the guys that were following me. It looks like he's caught a whiff of my scent and is trying to look for me here. Either that or he just wants to send me a message."

"Well, hasn't he ever heard of using an answering machine or even a pencil and paper?" Geo sarcastically replied with a hint of anger in his voice. "This really isn't the most ideal way to be leaving a message."

"He trying to lure me out with all this destruction," the Wave being explained. "Either that or he just has the urge to destroy things like he normally does."

"What do you mean by 'like he normally does'?! Isn't there a way to stop him? At the rate he's going, Wilshire Hills is going to be reduced to nothing, but a pile of rubble!"


	10. Taurus the Flame Manipulator

**Chapter 10: Taurus the Flame Manipulator**

As the two of them were watching the destruction in front of them unfold, Geo was trying to figure out a way to get to his friends. The explosion that caused him to fly down the stairs earlier had brought up a wall of fire that was impossible to move through. In his eyes, he saw that it was only made up of EM Waves, but it still felt pretty real and burning hot when he got near it.

"How does this fire look and feel real if it's only being caused by that crazy Wave being?!" Geo shouted as he tried to find a way around the fire. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"That's because it isn't real," Omega explained as he watched the boy's feeble attempts to get through the barrier. "It's only been stimulated to be seen and felt as something real by the Electromagnetic Waves in the air. Taurus has the power to manipulate fire, but can't bring it into the real world without the help of the EM Waves. If enough stimulation is given to his flames by the EM Waves, then something from the Wave World like this will take on a realistic form and, therefore, can be seen and felt like any other real object."

"Well, where is this stimulation coming from, then?" he questioned Omega as he gave up on trying to find another way through. "There must be a source for this kind of power somewhere nearby."

"I've already introduced you to it. It's coming from Taurus. We FM-ians are sophisticated enough in our bodily formation that we can easily manipulate the EM Waves around us into whatever we want. Basically, the waves act like ammunition for us to directly attack the real world. So as long as Taurus keeps at it with his attacks, he'll continue to use the EM Waves to his advantage."

"T-there must be something we can do to stop him! How about you, Omega? Can't you go look for him and stop his attacks?"

"You have got to be kidding me, kid!" Omega said with a look of disbelief on his face. "Taurus may not be the brightest marble in the bag, but he has more than enough brawn to cover for that. Trust me, one hit from him can easily send you flying into the next country!"

"Well, couldn't you try and give him a surprise attack?" Geo suggested as he started to come up with ideas from out of nowhere. "I'm sure that if you do that, then you should have the upper hand."

"Uh, I know I said that he wasn't exactly smart, but even he's got enough brains to notice something like that."

"Then, how about I cover for you while you sneak up on him? That way, you can ambush him."

"Okay, I'm going to say something to that, but that doesn't mean I care about you," the Wave being slowly said as he took a deep breath. "ARE YOU INSANE?! IF HE FIGURES OUT THAT YOU CAN SEE HIM, HE'LL GO AROUND TELLING THE OTHERS AND YOU'LL DEFINITELY BE HUNTED DOWN AND TORTURED, MAYBE EVEN KILLED, BY THEM!!!"

"Alright, you don't have to yell!" the boy shouted as he tried to relieve the ringing in his ears from that terrible outburst. "Don't you think I already knew that? I don't care what happens to me. As long as my friends are okay, whatever happens to me doesn't really matter!"

At that remark, Omega was left speechless. It wasn't because he couldn't find anything to counter it, like he always did, but he couldn't find it in himself _to_ counter it. It was as if something inside him was holding him back from doing so and telling him to help Geo.

_W-why can't I bring myself to tell him to forget about it?_ the being thought as he was having a mental battle with himself. _It's not that hard to say. All I have to ell him is that it's really none of my business. The only thing is, I can't! Why?! Why does this feel different than all the other times? Why can't I say it out loud?!_

"Y-you…I…," Geo heard Omega stumble over his words.

"What is it, Omega?" he inquired.

"F-fine, you win," Omega managed to get out as he looked away from the boy. "I'll help you out here, but just this once! Don't think I'm going to be making this into a habit."

"Thanks, Omega!" Geo replied with a smile that quickly faded and was replaced with a look of seriousness. "To start with, do you think that you can figure out where Taurus is making these flames from?"

"Heh, that's an easy request, kid," the Wave being said with a snort, quickly regaining his old attitude. "His Wave signature seems to be leading me in the direction of that tall skyscraper building."

"Y-you mean he's at the IFL Tower?" he asked for clarification as he looked at the spot Omega was pointing at.

"If that's what the building's called, then yeah. According to his signature reading, he's somewhere around the base of the building."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Geo nearly shouted as he broke into a run in the direction of the IFL Tower. "Let's get over there and kick this guy's butt!"

"H-hey, wait for me!" Omega called out to the quickly disappearing form of Geo. "Don't start taking him on before I get there! He's seriously strong!"

_Just hold on for a little while guys,_ Geo thought as he got closer to his destination. _Omega and I will get rid of those flame and then you can get a chance to run. Just please hold out for a few more minutes!_

When he arrived at the base of IFL Tower, Geo noticed a sudden change in the atmosphere. It was increasingly getting warmer at an alarming rate. He was already starting to sweat bullet within the first few seconds.

"Gosh, it's hot here," he said as he wiped some sweat off of his forehead. "It's almost like an oven here."

"What did you expect it to feel like around here, a freezer?" Omega sarcastically replied as he caught up with the boy. "As I said before, Taurus has the power to manipulate fire. Don't expel all of your energy in one go. The heat can easily tire you out if you do so."

"Alright, so where is he?" he anxiously said as he scanned the area for any sign of the fiery Wave being.

"Darn it!" the Wave being exclaimed. "He's relocated to the roof of the building!"

With that said, Geo automatically looked up and saw who he believed to be Taurus floating along the edge of the roof.

Taurus had a look of a bull with the horns on his head. He had on ruby red armor and was giving off an orange glow from his body. With the two colors mixed together, it almost looked as if he was surrounded by fire when viewed from afar.

"I'm guessing that _cow_ that's about to be roasted is him," he said with an added emphasis on the word "cow".

"Quick with the insults, aren't you?" Omega asked with a smile at the boy's sudden cockiness. "Yeah, that's him alright. How long does it take you to get to the roof from here?"

"Uh, it's about a five minute trip from here to there," he answered with a little bit of hesitation.

"Darn, he probably would have moved by the time you get there," the Wave being said thoughtfully as he tried to come up with a back-up plan. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. You are going to distract him from down here while I go into the building and make my way up from inside. That should give us the edge we need. You ready to take on the challenge, kid?"

"Am I ready to take on the challenge? When it comes to situations like this, I was born ready!"

"Heh, I never would have thought that you would have a cocky side to you. Alright, then. Stall him for a couple of minutes while I make my way up. That should give me enough time to get to him. So come on! Let's do it!"

And with that, Omega hid behind a nearby cluster of bushes that were near the entrance to the IFL Tower yet were also far enough from the Wave flames, waiting for Geo to take over his part of the plan.

With a deep breath, Geo prepared himself to make himself heard by Taurus. Then, he let loud yell escape his lips.

"Hey, you cow-freak!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Why don't you pick on other Wave beings like yourself for a change?!"

As a response, Taurus looked down at Geo as if he were crazy. He then went back to overseeing the destruction he was causing.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, you overgrown bull!" he yelled again to attract his attention.

This time, Taurus looked down at Geo with a slight look of disbelief on his face.

"Are you talking to me, you puny kid?" he spat out as he started to float down to Geo's position.

"Who does it look like I'm talking to? I don't see any other beings around here that look like a bull!"

"So you can see me," the bull said with a smirk as he floated down in front of Geo. "Well, isn't that interesting?"

_Wow, that worked better than I thought it would,_ Omega thought as he saw Taurus fall for the bait and actually come down from the roof. _Either that or Taurus is getting even more stupider by the minute. Anyway, now's my chance. Here goes nothing!_

"How is it possible for someone like you to see me?" Taurus inquired with an utter look of confusion written on his bull-like face. "You humans shouldn't be able to see us Wave beings. Eh, it doesn't matter to me. All I have to do now is get rid of you and…Gah!!!"

With a yelp of pain, Taurus fell face first to the floor without making much of a sound. With him on the ground, Geo could clearly see Omega in an attack position with his left hand slightly glowing. When he relaxed a bit, his hand stopped glowing.

"O-Omega-Xis!" Taurus exclaimed in pain from being struck so hard in the back. "I-it was you who hit me?"

"Who else could it have been?" Omega asked as he pretended to have a sudden interest in his nails, if he even had any to begin with.

"Y-you traitor," the orange Wave being breathed out with a shudder. "How…dare you strike…a soldier of the king?"

"I still can't believe that the king actually saw it in him to make you into one of his personal soldiers," the blue Wave being sighed as his hand started to glow again. "You're nothing more than a brainless lout who spends his entire day sleeping."

"At least…I pledged my complete loyalty…to the king!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Omega said without any interest as he struck Taurus hard in the head, causing him to go limp and fall to the floor. "You only pled loyalty to him because he promised you an easy life."

With Taurus out for the count, Geo suddenly felt the temperature in the air start to drastically drop. He let out a sigh of relief as he walked up to Omega's side.

"D-did you kill him?" he hesitantly asked the Wave being as he examined Taurus' still body.

"I wish I could," Omega said with a shake of his head. "Unfortunately, only the FM King or his right hand man has the power to officially kill us FM-ians."

"Well, that's good, I guess," Geo quietly said as he looked away from Taurus.

"What do you mean 'that's good'?! When he wakes up, he'll go back to his comrades and tell them about us in the next chance he gets! How could you consider that good?"

"That's not what I meant. What I meant was that I didn't want you to go killing him just because he had us figured out. It wouldn't have made much of a difference nor would it leave me with a great feeling. Whether or not the person we fight is the enemy, killing them will never solve anything."

"That's kind of hypocritical, don't you think? At first, you wanted to come here and stop Taurus. Now you're giving me a lecture about not going to far with stopping the bad guys? Why don't you make up your mind already?"

"Hey, I only asked for you to help me because my friends were in danger. Oh, no! I got to go back and check up on them!"

Before Omega could get another word in, Geo ran back to the shopping center where he left his friends.

_God, that kid is crazy,_ he thought as he began to follow him. _If you're going to stop the enemy, why not go all the way? It's of no use to anybody if you let the enemy live. Maybe there's something I'm missing here that Geo hasn't told me yet. I'll have to ask him about it later. Right now, I better follow him and make sure he doesn't get into anymore trouble._

When he arrived back at the shopping center, he saw Geo and his friends talking to each other and giving each other reassurances. They then start to walk away from the mall, agreeing that going home would be the best option as of now.

However, just as Omega was about to follow them, he suddenly felt a power surge of some sort. A second later, he recognized the Wave signature as Taurus'.

"Hey kid, get out of here now!" he exclaimed. "Taurus is back!"

"Oh, you got to be kidding me!" Geo said as an explosion sounded from the direction of the IFL Tower. "Come on, everybody! We've got to run for it!"

Before they could do so, however, another explosion, this time much closer, knocked all of them off of their feet and causing everybody to faint except for Geo.

"Are you okay?!" Omega cried out as he began to rush towards the group.

However, something roughly pushed him out of the way, causing him to fall to the ground hard. When he looked up to see what it was, he saw Taurus towering over the group.

"What do you want from us now, Taurus?!" Geo shouted as he stared the Wave being down.

However, instead of backing down, Taurus actually advanced towards the group. The next thing he did shocked both him and Omega.

Taurus actually bent sown to Bud's position, who was currently dazed from the blast, and started to integrate himself into his body!

"Hey, what are you doing to Bud?!" Geo shouted in an attempt to make him stop.

It was already too late, though, as he had already completely assimilated himself with Bud. Before anyone could react, Bud had transformed in a blinding light.

When the light disappeared, both Geo and Omega were shock at what they saw. The person who stood in front of them was no longer Bud, but it was also wasn't Taurus. It was a fusion between the two and it looked even more powerful and more menacing than Taurus by himself.


	11. The Merged Being Taurus Fire

Hope you all enjoy this next chapter. It's the first major action scene for this story. Boy, it was complete hell just to make it, but i enjoyed it nonetheless. I hope you all enjoy it, too. Please review this chapter because Ireally want to know how you all think about my action scene. Thank you and enjoy this chapter everybody!!!

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**Chapter 11: The Merged Being Taurus Fire**

"Wha…wha…" Geo stuttered as he was frozen in shock at the sight he had just witnessed. "What in the world just happened here?!"

The being that practically towered over Geo and his group of unconscious friends had almost the exact appearance of Taurus sans the orange glow that was on his body before he integrated with Bud and he looked more real. It still had on it's original red armor, but it only appeared on it's head and arms. The rest of it's body, including the two horns on it's head, were the same shade of yellow as the shirt Bud was wearing that day. The eyes were also of the same color as the chest armor.

"Is that…really Bud?" he asked in disbelief as he continued to stare at the being in front of him.

"Not in the sense that you know him as," Omega explained as he got up from where he was pushed down and went towards Geo. "He isn't the person that you know him as right now."

"Uh, English please!" he shouted as he barely managed to dodge a sudden arm-swing from the fusion Taurus. "I don't really have the time for all these riddles right now!"

"Basically, Taurus is using your friend as a vessel to bring out his real world form," the being said as he, too, was almost struck by one of fusion Taurus' wild arms. "All of us FM-ians need a body in order to become a part of the real world. However, when we do so, the person that we are with loses all bodily functions and thought patterns. In other words, your friend is now a puppet of Taurus who is forced to do whatever Taurus does."

"What are you saying?" Geo asked as he tried to lead fusion Taurus away from his unconscious friends. "Are you saying that Bud can't be rescued?"

"That's not what I said at all!" Omega corrected him as he tried to get some hits on the Wave being. "He can still be saved, but the only way to do so is to have Taurus be exhausted. I'm not talking about waiting for him to get tired from his rampage. I mean that we have to actually fight him. At least, that's what I have to do in order to stop him and get him out of your friend."

"Are you nuts?! Won't that also hurt Bud?"

"Not a chance. Even though your friend's body is being used, Taurus is the one being projected as the dominant being. In other words, Taurus is projecting himself into the real world via a human vessel. Therefore, he'll be the one to receive the pain, not your friend."

"Omega, watch out!"

But it was already too late as Taurus' arms, which were now covered in flames, connected with Omega's torso, causing him to fly a good meter or two away.

"Omega!!!" Geo shouted as he ran in the direction the Wave being was sent flying.

"I-I'm fine," Omega replied with obvious signs of strain as he struggled to get up and failed. "Just…a little hit…from his _Flame Punch_…is all."

"Just a little bump?!" he exclaimed as he knelt down to try and help pick the Wave being up, only to figure out that his hand passed though the Wave body. "You were practically thrown to the ground like a piece of garbage! I don't care what the move's called! We need to get you some help with those wounds!"

"Just…throw your compassion…out with the wind," the Wave being responded in an audibly bitter tone. "You couldn't…try to help me even…if you wanted to. Besides, I don't…need any kind of help…from you. I have…no need for it. You can't even….lay a finger on me."

"That doesn't mean that I'm just going to give up on you just because you told me to!" he practically shouted more in concern than in anger. "There has to be something else that I can do to help you! There's no possible way that you can take Taurus on by yourself in your condition!"

"I already…told you. There's nothing…that you can do about it. Just…give it up…already."

"I just…, But isn't there…? I can't…," Geo stuttered as he desperately tried to find some way to help the injured Wave being. "Maybe… C-couldn't you do the same thing to me like Taurus did to Bud?"

"What're you suggesting?" the Wave being asked as he finally managed to get up off the floor, albeit weakly.

"I'm suggesting that…that you use my body in order to have a standing chance at stopping Taurus!"

Before anyone could get a chance to say anything else, they felt a slight rumble as Taurus was walking towards them.

"Ha, ha, ha!" he laughed as he had on a maniacal smile. "That should teach you to never try and mess with me. If you try to play around with me, you're going to get yourself burned. From now on, you shall all cower in fear at the presence of the great Taurus Fire!"

"Come on, Omega!" the boy coaxed the injured Wave being into the plan. "You have to do it. There's no other way! If you don't do it, everybody here is going to die, including yourself!"

"Are you…sure about this?" Omega breathed out in a barely audible whisper as he felt his eyes begin to unwillingly close shut while feeling dangerously dizzy, a sure sign that he was close to losing consciousness. "Once you do it…, there's no guarantee…that you're going to come out of this…like nothing ever happened."

"I've never been more sure of myself in my entire life," Geo said with great certainty. "Besides, if this is going to be anywhere near the same as Taurus, your injuries should be healed up once you do it. So what are you waiting for? Do it! Use my body to become a part of the real world!"

After having a quick mental argument in his head, Omega decided to go through with the plan. After all, if it meant that he would have a second chance at kicking Taurus' sorry butt, he'll do it. Of course, there was another reason that he wanted to do it. As much as he didn't wan to admit it, he felt a sort of compassion for the boy's position and sensed a lot of bravery coming from him. It almost reminded him of who he used to be back when…

"Alright, I'll do it," he replied as he quickly jerked the intruding thoughts out of his mind. "Just remember, you're the one…who suggested it if…anything happens to…go wrong."

"I know. It's a risk I'm willing to take, though, considering I might lose my mind. Hurry up now! Just do it!"

"Ha! No matter what you try to do now, you're all going to die right here and now!" Taurus Fire taunted as he came nearer and nearer to their position. "Even if you do try to perform a Wave Change right now, the chances of you two having a match in Wave lengths are close to none. So why don't you just give it up now and save me the trouble of having to… What?!!"

In an instant, the entire area was engulfed in a blinding flash of light. It was so bright, Taurus Fire was forced to bring his hands up in order to shield his eyes from the blinding rays.

"Wha…what is this power surge I'm feeling?!" he exclaimed as the light continued to blind him. "I've never felt anything like this before! How can anything give off such a strong force?!"

When the light finally dimmed down to a point that it wasn't painfully bright, he brought his hands away from his face and was shocked at what he saw standing in front of him.

Standing in the place where the bright light once shone the brightest stood the silhouette of a lone being. As the last of the light disappeared, the figure was seen to have the appearance of a human. However, it was more than just a human; it was a human fused with a Wave being!

The humanoid being had blue and white armored shoulder pads with the same blue colored armored boots with white lines running along the sides of it that went all the way up to his knees. He had a chest plate that was melded together with the shoulder pads and had an odd three-pointed gold star on the middle of it and was outlined with a thin strip of white. On his head was a sort of a blue metal headband that had a red visor covering his eyes and red on the sides of it in a white circle. The rest of the spiky hair was left exposed. The rest of his body seemed to be covered in a black jumpsuit of sorts. On his right arm, a blue armored forearm protector covered the whole of his forearm from the wrist to the elbow. On his left arm, there…was a blue head with green spikes that seemed like hair coming from the back of it. The head belonged to none other than that of Omega-Xis himself!

"Wha…what is all this?!" Taurus Fire bellowed in shock at the sight before him. "Y-you were actually able to successfully pull off an EM Wave Change?! There's no way that the kid you participated in it with could have had the same Wave lengths as you! How is that possible?!"

"That's easy to explain," the head, who's voice sounded like Omega's, simply replied in a smug tone. "The kid and I _do_ have a perfect match in our Wave lengths. I'm now a part of him as he is a part of me, just as you are to the boy you're controlling as he is to you. It shouldn't come as such a surprise to you, seeing as you're the one who came up with the smart idea to do that in the first place. I really ought to thank you for giving the kid the idea to do the same thing."

"Heh, heh," the fiery Wave being laughed nervously. "So you're resorting to the same trick that I just used against you based on what a human said, Omega-Xis? Do you really think that you can actually defeat me by taking control of that puny little weakling of a kid and giving yourself a real world form? Do you honestly think that you, a lowly traitor of the FM Planet, can take on me, one of the king's strongest soldiers in his court, all by yourself?"

"Of course he isn't going to do it all by himself, you big oversized ox!" another voice rang out. "He's going to have me fighting alongside him."

"Wh…what in blazes?!!" Taurus Fire yelled as he stared at the humanoid with such shock that his eyes looked like they might fall out any minute. "Y-you…! You're that weakling of a human from before! How is this…?! How are you…?! You can't be…! I-it's impossible!!!"

"K-kid?!" Omega also asked in a tone of shock, although not in the same level as Taurus Fire, as he turned his head to face the humanoid's face. "Is that really you?! You're actually still conscious while I'm using your body?!"

"Amazingly enough, I think I am," Geo's voice said as the humanoid moved it's arms and legs in a testing fashion. "Except for my left hand, which is where your head has been replaced for it, I think I actually have total control of my entire body. It's a bit of a strange feeling, yet I feel like I can do almost anything in this form. It feels like I can take on the world!"

"Yeah, well, don't start getting carried away with this new feeling, kid," Omega warned him as he quickly adjusted to the change in situation and brought his gaze back to Taurus Fire, who was still staring at them with a completely idiotic look on his face. "Don't forget, we still have an important job to do here. We have to take care of that big dummy over there."

"You think I could forget something like that?" he rhetorically asked as he got into a battle stance, or at least what he thought was one. "Anyway, it's time to beat this guy up and get Bud out of there!"

"That's the fighting spirit! Just follow my lead and everything should fall into place for us."

"Y-you…!" Taurus Fire stuttered as he slowly got over his initial shock and allowed his anger to take him over. "I don't know who you are, but I promise you this: You and the traitor are going down!!! I don't care if you have control over your own body or not. Whoever dares to try and interfere with me and my plans will be turned into a pancake and burned into a crisp! By the time I'm done with you, you're going to be wishing that you had never tried to go against me! Let me give you a taste of my _Flaming_ _Ox Tackle_!"

In a red and orange blur, he began to recklessly charge towards Omega's and Geo's position at a blinding speed with fire totally engulfing him and whipping behind him against the wind. He was moving so fast, one wouldn't be able to see him unless they were initially looking at him. Even then, it would have been visually hard to keep up with him.

With Taurus Fire furiously rushing at them at such an incredible speed, it wasn't really unexpected for Geo to be frightened. If it were normal circumstances, he might be considered what many would call "road kill". However, these circumstances were nowhere near normal. With the conditions at what they were, everything was completely different from the norm.

With such a small amount of time to react on a seemingly speedy and accurate attack, one would think that the two of them wouldn't have enough time to react. That and the flames that was added into it gave it an even wider range of attack and just made it seem much worse. However, this was not the case.

At the last possible second, he quickly moved away from the Wave being's path of intended destruction by simply jumping away to the side. He then landed softly on his feet in front of his friends without making any loud landing noise that one would expect from reacting so quickly with a jump.

"Wow, my reaction timing seemed to have gotten somewhat better," Geo said in amazement as he looked down at his left arm where Omega's head was. "My senses also seem to be a bit sharper than before, too. Is this all because of this Wave Change thing that we did, Omega?"

"I honestly have no idea whatsoever," Omega replied with a hint of confusion clear in his voice. "Up until now, I've never had a host that could actually have total control over his body and mind while I'm in the midst of 'borrowing' it. I'm not sure if your sharper reflexes and senses are because of the fact that you still have your sanity after the Wave Change."

"Well, either way, it's really making me feel different from before the Wave Change when I was still a human," he explained as they saw Taurus Fire stop short of crashing into a building. "I can't really explain it, but my entire body practically feels as light as a feather! It almost felt like I was actually gliding in the air with that small jump from earlier!"

"You little worms!!!" they heard Taurus Fire bellow as he got ready to charge at them again. "Do you really think that a simple pitiful dodge is going to help you survive against my attacks? Well, think again, chumps! I'm not about to let you two get away that easily! Here comes another _Flaming_ _Ox Tackle_!!!"

"Jeez, talk about having a one track mind," Omega sighed as he brought his head up, which also forced Geo's left arm to follow suit, and carefully aimed it at the red Wave being. "Listen carefully, kid. When Taurus Fire gets close enough to us, I'm going to give him a shot in the chest that he'll won't soon forget. That's when I want you to go and jump up to the roof of the building that he almost ran into. That way, I can get an even better shot at him without him trying to run us over."

"Uh, how in the world do you want me to do that, Omega?!" Geo asked in utter disbelief at the command he was given. "What do you think I am in this new form, some sort of mighty jumping kangaroo?! In fact, how are you even going to shoot at him without the use of some kind of gun?"

"There's no time to explain. Just do as I say when I say it! The moment you hesitate is the moment that we're going to get hurt big time. Here he comes now. Get ready for it."

Before he could get a chance to make another argument, Geo felt a certain amount of power being collected into where his left hand was supposed to be just as Taurus Fire started to dash towards them again. It was steadily getting stronger and visibly getting larger as the power took on a spherical form within Omega's open mouth. Then, Omega let the power loose and a big energy bullet came flying out of his mouth and towards the oncoming Wave being.

"Yeouch!" Taurus Fire exclaimed in pain as the bullet made direct contact with his armored chest and forced him to fly backwards a bit and onto the ground with a heavy thud from his back. "Th-that was the _Mega Charged Shot_?! It was never that powerful before! Why does it have so much power now?!"

"Now, kid!" Omega roughly commanded just as the loud thud was heard. "Jump up to there now!"

Without saying anything or giving it a second thought, Geo ran forward a bit to give him some lift. He then attempted a jump that would take him to the roof of the building in front of him.

Instead of doing a small regular human jump that he was accustomed to and thought was going to happen, he went even higher than he thought he could. In fact, in that one single leap, he was able to go just a little bit higher than the roof itself and still managed to land soundlessly onto it.

"Wow," he silently exclaimed in complete shock. "Did I really just jump all the way up here from down there?"

"You see, kid?" Omega said in a way that sounded like he was smiling. "When you're in the Wave form, you can do things that normal humans can't. After all, being a Wave being means that you're playing in an entirely different field than that of the humans. Now come on! Let's hurry up and put an end to this. Help me aim my shots at Taurus Fire down there. Accuracy is key to winning this battle now!"

"A-alright," Geo said as he felt the collective power coming to Omega's head again. "I'm ready!"

"Then let's let her rip! _Rapid Mega Buster_!!!"

With that said, Omega let loose a round of smaller bullets of lesser power from his mouth. With Geo helping him aim the rapid shots, most of them managed to hit their intended target that was still lying on the floor.

"NNNOOOOOO!!!" they heard the loud defeated cry of Taurus Fire as smoke was starting to build up from the rapid shots. "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING TO MMEEEEE!!!"

With the sound of victory echoing in the air along with the thick smoke, Omega stopped with the rapid shots and Geo allowed Omega's head to rest easy from the aiming position he had it in. Geo then jumped back down with the same ease from coming up and landed next to the still unconscious forms of Zack and Luna.

Once the smoke had cleared, they could clearly see two forms laying on the ground. One was that of Bud, whom was thankfully unharmed and just unconscious from the whole ordeal when Geo ran to him. The other one was that of a very weak and defeated Taurus.

"Y-you…" he started to say in a very shaky voice. "Don't think…for a moment that…you have won, Omega-Xis. This is only…the beginning…of what is to come! And you, human… Don't think that…you're safe for a single minute. We FM-ian warriors…are going to be hunting…the both of you down! Just you wait…and see. You'll regret the day…you went against us!"

And with that, Taurus was engulfed in a flash of light and disappeared when it was gone.

"Darn it!" Omega exclaimed as he tried to stop Taurus from doing what he did. "He got away from us. That just means that we're going to have a lot of trouble on our hands in the future."

"Omega?" Geo asked with concern in his voice as he was still kneeling besides Bud. "Is Bud going to be alright after all this?"

"He should be," the Wave being replied with great confidence. "The worst he should feel when he comes to is immense drowsiness. It shouldn't be anything major, though. In the meantime, why don't we get out of this form before we run into more trouble with the authorities of this planet?"

"Good idea," he agreed as he thought about being arrested by the Satella Police as a suspected Wave virus.

In another bright flash of light, Geo and Omega un-fused and became two separate beings again. All that was left to do now was to wait for Geo's friends to regain their consciousness so they can leave this place.


	12. After the Wilshire Hills Incident

**Chapter 12: After the Wilshire Hills Incident**

"…And that's all that happened." the voice of Geo rang out in a brightly lit room that only had a table, two chairs, and a mirror. "There's nothing more that I can tell you about the attack, sir."

"Are you sure about that?" a man with short brown hair in a long trench coat with a white button shirt and brownish grey tie asked with raised eyebrows. "Is there anything that you're hiding from me, young man?"

"With all due respect, Detective Copper, you've asked me that question quite a few times already ever since you brought me and my friends here to the police station for a Question and Answer session," Geo explained with a sigh of annoyance as he slumped down into his seat. "To be honest with you, it's starting to get a bit annoying. I've already told you that I don't know anything about the attack except that it came so suddenly and without warning. It was so fast that me and my friends had no time to take shelter and get to somewhere safe."

"I'm sorry, Geo, but it's all a part of the official questioning," the detective explained as he got up from his seat that was opposite of Geo. "It's my job to ask you these questions and to see if you have any important info for us concerning the attack and if you're purposely hiding anything of vital importance from us."

"I understand that, sir, but my answer is still going to be the same as it was for the past hour: I'm not hiding anything important about the incident," he repeated in an agitated tone. "What could I possibly gain in doing that? After all, I'm only twelve and in the fifth grade, for Pete's sake! That and I was out cold for the majority of the attack along with my friends."

"Well, you do have a valid point there," Detective Copper said as he pondered on what to ask next. "As a child who's still in grade school, you can't possibly have any reason to hide anything from us concerning this, especially since you were out cold during the time of the incident."

_How in the world did I end up in this crazy situation?_ Geo thought with a heavy mental sigh. _Oh yeah, it's all because of that Taurus Fire that I'm even here to begin with._

Flashback:

_As Geo was waiting for his friends to regain consciousness so they can leave this place that was once the beautiful Wilshire Hills, Omega kept watch over the area for any other signs of a FM-ian attack. When he heard the sound of sirens in the distance over the sound of burning rubble, he immediately rushed to where Geo was kneeling beside Bud to warn him._

"_Hey, kid," he warned him when he was hovering next to Geo, "I'm not sure what the sirens mean, but I think it's saying that the authorities are coming. We could be in a bit of trouble if we stay here any longer. We should leave the guys and split while we still have the chance." _

_"Are you kidding me, Omega?" Geo asked in complete shock at the suggestion. "I'm not going to leave my friends here just because the cops are coming. Besides, I didn't do anything wrong and I'm not in the Wave form with you. I shouldn't have any problem if I just play it cool." "_

_Yeah, but what about me?" Omega asked. "Don't these people you call 'cops' have a way to detect Wave beings like me?"_

"_Now that you mention it, I think this kind of incident is probably going to be a job for the Satella Police," the boy suddenly remembered. "They'll more or less likely have something that can easily detect you." _

_"You see? That's why we have to make our way out of here and leave those three behind."_

"_Look, I've already told you this before and I'm going to tell it to you again: I'm not going to leave my friends behind. True friends don't abandon their friends. Besides, aren't you free to get away from here? It's not like you're forced to stay here or anything like that." _

_"You got to be kidding me. I was thinking that I could hide in your Star Carrier while we were running. Since you're not planning to leave, though, I guess I'll just stay in there until the heat dies down." _

_"That might not be the greatest of ideas. You see, the police tend to confiscate things from people who are found at a scene of some big incident or crime. This should be no exception. They'll more or less try to run a scan of my Star Carrier to make sure I'm not hiding anything."_

"_Then, where am I supposed to go and hide? If I don't have the Star Carrier, then I have nowhere else to go." _

_"Oh, yes you do. Just go back to my house and stay there until I get back. It'll probably take a while since police procedures usually take a long time. As long as you stay in my room, everything should be okay on your end. Now hurry up and go. I can hear the sirens getting closer." _

_For a small moment, Omega felt himself hesitate, which was a very unusual thing for him to do because he was, by nature, the type who would never second guess himself. It was as if he couldn't decide whether he wanted to stay with the kid or just run like a dog with it's tail between it's legs just to save his own skin._

"_What are you waiting for, Omega?" Geo asked as he heard the sirens come to a stop and car doors opening and slamming shut. "Get going! You don't stand much of a chance against the Satella Police and their advanced Wave weapons. Don't worry, I'll be fine. I'll also make sure to not say anything about you or the incident. If I feign ignorance, then they might not ask me so many questions about all this. Now hurry up and get out of here!" _

_"Fine, just don't give ourselves away to them!" Omega reminded him as he ran as fast as he could back to Geo's house. "The last thing we need is to have them down our throats and chasing our tails!" _

_Within a second, he was gone and was no longer anywhere near Wilshire Hills. And in that one second, the Satella Police found their way through the flaming rubble and to Geo's and his friend's position._

"_Everybody, split up and search for any people that are in need of assistance!" Detective Copper commanded the group of people behind him that wore the official uniform of the Satella Police. "Make sure you don't miss anybody out there! You two, help me take these four back into my car. I'll drive them back to the station when we're done here."_

"_A-are you guys here to help us get out of here?" Geo asked as he pretended to be scared._

"_Don't worry, kid," the detective said as he knelt down beside Geo and easily bought the act. "Everything's going to be okay now. Are you alright? Do you have any injuries on you?"_

"_N-no, I'm alright," he answered as he continued to pretend to be scared. "Everything feel's okay."_

"_Well, that's good to hear. Do you mind telling me your name along with those that are with you if you know them?" _

_"A-alright. My name's Geo. The big guy's Bud, the small one's Zack, and the girl's Luna. We're all friends that go to the same school. W-we only came here to celebrate our Summer vacation together. We didn't think that something like this would happen."_

"_Don't worry, you're safe now. You just go ahead and follow my men and they'll take you to my car where it's a lot more safer. Once we're done here, I'll take you guys back to the station where your friends can recover safely. Do they have any injuries, by the way?"_

"_N-not that I know of. I think that they all just fainted from the suddenness of the attack." _

_"Well, that's good to hear. Just go ahead and wait in my car and I'll take you to the station shortly. You can call me Detective Copper, by the way." _

_"Alright, Detective Copper. I'll go and wait in the car."_

End Flashback:

And that was how Geo found himself in the police station and being interrogated by the cop that approached him first: Detective Copper. He and his friends have been in this building for a little over an hour from when they were first found at Wilshire Hills. His friends have already regained consciousness and were also being questioned by other officers about the incident.

"Well, if there isn't anything else you want to ask me, can I please go home now?" he asked Detective Copper. "I really don't think that I can give you anymore helpful information. After all, I was knocked unconscious when the attack started. All I saw when I woke up was burning rubble all around me. There really isn't anymore for me to tell you."

"Alright, you can go," the detective answered with a sigh. "Before you do, though, can I ask you one more question?"

"Sure, go ahead," the boy said with a sigh.

"How is it that you were the only one who managed to regain consciousness while your three friends didn't?"

"I honestly don't know, Detective Copper," Geo replied as he pretended to think about the question. "As far as I know, everybody wakes up from an unconscious state at different times. It doesn't seem that unusual to me that I just happened to be the first one up out of the entire group. It would be very unusual, though, if all four of us woke up at the same time."

"I suppose you're right. Well, you can go now. Just go out the door and follow the hall on your left side all the way down. From there, you'll enter the reception area where your mother should be waiting for you. You won't be able to leave with your friends, though, because they're still being interviewed by us."

"Alright, thanks for the directions," Geo said as he opened the door and exited the room.

"Hmm," the detective sighed thoughtfully once the boy was out of the room. "I can't help, but feel that he's hiding something from me. Then again, it must be all these cases getting to me. This is the latest known case of a virus attack here in this town. Just what in the world is going on around here these days?"


	13. What's a Wave Change?

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I really had a lot of fun making it. This one will explain, in my words, how I believe the Wave Change is performed. Please review this chapter and tell me whether or not you like the explanation I gave for it.

* * *

**Chapter 13: What's a Wave Change?  
**

"You don't know how surprised I was when I heard that you and your friends were found in the middle of a scene of a virus attack," Hope said as she and her son, Geo, entered their house after coming home from the police station. "It was quite a shock to hear that they took you four to the police station for questioning."

"I'm sorry about that, mom," Geo apologized as his mom locked the door. "I didn't mean to worry you with all that. It all just happened so quickly that my friends and I didn't get a chance to get away and we got stuck."

"It's alright, honey," she assured him. "I'm just glad to know that you and your friends weren't hurt in any way during that incident. How about I fix you up a snack or something else to eat? After all, you've had a very hard and stressful day and it could help calm your nerves down."

"No thanks, mom," he declined with a small polite wave of his hand. "I'm not really in the mood to be eating anything right now. I think I'll just go to my room and try to get this morning's events out of my head."

"Alright. Will you at least come down and have some dinner when it's ready in a couple of hours?"

"Don't worry, I'll be down for dinner for sure. I can't go the whole day without eating some dinner, at least. For now, though, I'm just going to go up to my room now and rest a bit."

"Okay," she smiled at the remark her son made. "Would you like for me to check up on you in an hour or so?"

"No, it's good. You don't need to do that. I just want some time to myself for the time being."

"Then, I'll call you down when dinner's ready."

And with that, Geo went up the stairs and into his room without saying another word. Naturally, Hope was concerned that her son might be experiencing some kind of shock to his system after the dangers he was forced to face that afternoon. However, her motherly instincts told her that she didn't have to worry too much about it. Knowing her son, he was going to get over this whole ordeal as soon as his friends left the station and they got back together. He was mentally stronger than most children at his age and she knew that. Still, she couldn't help, but worry at times like these about him.

"Boy, today was such a crazy day," Geo sighed as he silently closed his bedroom door. "First, it was a friendly get-together with my friends at the mall gone wrong. Then, a crazy bull-like Wave being by the name of Taurus tries to destroy Wilshire Hills and actually takes over Bud's body in the process. Finally, the Satella Police come and take us to the station just so they can ask us some questions regarding the attack. Things just couldn't get any better, could they?"

"How do you think I feel here?" Omega asked as he came floating in from the balcony. "I've been waiting here for you to come back for over an hour after they got there. Do you have any idea how boring it was starting to get in here?"

"Well, sorry, Omega," the boy apologized. "They took a bit longer with their questions than I thought they would. I didn't think that they had to be that thorough with their investigation. The detective kept repeating the same question over and over again. It was as if he didn't believe me when I said that I didn't know anything about the attack. It was really starting to get annoying."

"Well, unless you weren't putting up a very good act, there's no reason he shouldn't believe what you've said to him. Except for what we already know and want to keep secret, what can a kid at your age possibly gain from hiding any information about the ambush?"

"That's exactly what I said to him. In the end, he finally bought it and let me go. My friends, though, haven't been allowed to leave yet. They're probably still being asked the same questions right now."

"Yeesh, if they can't get it from one guy, they try another one. It doesn't sound like they're going to be giving up on this anytime soon. Anyway, did you manage to get your Star Carrier back from them?"

"Actually, they never asked me to hand it over to them. I had it in my pocket the whole time I was at the station. It was probably too hectic and they couldn't find the chance to get it from me."

"So what you're saying is that I've been spending the past hour hiding in your room with nothing to do for no reason?" Omega asked in disbelief. "I spent the past hour hiding out in your room and getting bored for nothing?"

"Hey, it was better to be safe than sorry," Geo tried to explain to him. "If they did ask me for my Star Carrier, then you'd be found and destroyed before you could even get a chance to get out of there."

"Oh, come on, you make it sound like their almighty Wave weapons can destroy anything that's made up of EM Waves," the wave being said with a roll of his eyes and in a sarcastic tone.

"Of course they can! They were made for taking care of viruses that invade computer systems. They've already destroyed countless viruses with them ever since their creation a couple of years ago."

"But have you ever seen a Wave being like me be attacked and destroyed by one of those things before?"

"Now that you mention it, I never did."

"You see, Wave beings like me have a very sophisticated build to them. We can't be destroyed by something as pitiful as the Satella Police's Wave Guns. As I already mentioned earlier, only the FM King and his right hand man have the power to destroy us whenever they so wish to. The most those weapons can do to us is give us a very minor wound, nothing more."

"So theoretically, nothing except the FM King and his right hand man can kill you?" Geo repeated just to make sure he understood everything.

"That's exactly what I just said." Omega replied with another roll of his eyes. "And no, I'm not being theoretical here. I'm merely stating the truth. You know, if you're planning to try out to become a parrot as a job profession, you should keep it up because you're doing a great job at it."

"Uh, a-anyway," he quickly attempted to change the subject with a stutter, "could we move on to a different subject?"

"Like what?"

"Well, maybe we can talk about how you and I were able to perform a Wave Change with such ease?" he suggested. "I am actually kind of curious as to how you can do that."

"That is very easy to explain. It might take a while, though. So you might want to make yourself comfortable."

Deciding to take Omega's advice, Geo took off the shoes that he was still wearing and placed them next to the door. He then made his way to his bed underneath the glass roof and laid on his stomach so he could easily look at the Wave being whenever he had a question.

"Alright, I'm ready," Geo said once he managed to find a comfortable position. "Go ahead and start explaining."

"Okay," Omega sighed as he somehow managed to make himself lean against the wall. "Let me first start by explaining what a Wave Change is. It's basically when a human and a Wave being come together and create a real world Wave form, or a Merged Form as it's more commonly known as. Through it, the Wave being has total control over the human's mind and body and the human is rendered unconscious. Our power is much stronger than it would be when we are only in our Wave form. That's why we perform Wave Changes when the opportunity presents itself and if the situation becomes really desperate.

"Next, I will talk about how we can do a Wave Change," he continued on. "Before we are able to perform a Wave Change, we must first find a human with a Wave Signature that closely resembles our own. Being that we're Wave beings, it isn't hard to sense something like that. Finding a human with the same signature, though, is a totally different story. Only a handful of people have the same signature as a Wave being and we can only sense them if they are relatively close by. Basically, we'll be very lucky if we're able to Wave Change at least once during our lifespan."

"What is this Wave Signature that you're talking about?" Geo interrupted. "How is it that every human, or so that's what you seem to be implying, has this thing that allows you to Wave Change?"

"Wave Signatures are basically the natural wave lengths that every human, whether they know it or not, give off. It is composed of two different types of Wave lengths. The first is Brain Waves while the other is EM Waves. A human only gives off very small fragmented bits of their Brain Waves. However, it is more than enough to combine with the EM Waves that are floating everywhere on this planet. Once they have finished combining, it creates a special Wave length that is unique and different for every human. That is what a Wave Signature is and how they're created. For us Wave beings, though, we are born with our own unique signature. We don't have to combine our EM Waves with anything else.

"Once we have found our matching Wave Signatures, that's when we can perform a Wave Change if we so wish to. In order to perform the change, we must first combine our signatures with that of our human match. Once they have completely intertwined, that's when the entire process begins. While the change is underway, the signatures begin to quickly analyze each other. In doing so, they can come up with a form that best suits both signatures. Until the transformation has been completed, there's no way for us Wave beings to know what form we are going to take. It doesn't quite mater, though, since our power would be more than when we were in our Wave forms. Once we have successfully merged with the human and transformed, we will be able to have a real world form that we call the Merged Form."

"Is the Merged Form almost exactly like a real human?" Geo asked with great interest on this amazing topic.

"Not exactly. It's true that we're able to touch things in the real world that we would otherwise not be able to. However, the Merged Form allows us to change from an EM form to a real form at will. Take our battle with Taurus Fire, for example. Remember when he almost ran into that building before he stopped short of doing so? Well, if he chose not to stop and decided to run through it, he could easily do so without taking the entire building down. He could simply just change his Wave Frequency and it'll allow him to take on a Wave form while still being in the Merged Form and he'll just pass through it like water passes through a crack in a bowl. Think of it as an advantage for us in order to not take as much damage from real world objects. Of course, it has it's drawbacks. It requires a bit of concentration in order to do that and when you're busy in the heat of some major battle, let's just say that your thoughts are more on the battle than on trying to change frequencies."

"Wow," he said in awe with his mouth slightly open once Omega was done explaining the entire process of a Wave Change. "I didn't think that it was that complicated just to perform a Wave Change. Once you can do that, you can also change your own Wave Frequency in order to pass through real world obstacles like buildings and other stuff like that. This is almost like something you would see in a sci-fi movie or book. It seems too bizarre to be true."

"Yet you yourself have already experienced something like that," Omega reminded him. "You can't possibly deny the fact that it's real now."

"I know, but it still seems like a dream. It's so hard to believe all of it."

"Well, you better start believing it, kid. Because now that the FM-ians more or less likely know that I'm here and that you can see them, they'll be coming after us. We're going to have to defend ourselves when that time comes."

"I'm not worried about that. As long as you're there fighting beside me, I'm sure I'll be able to defend myself in the Merged Form pretty well with your help.

"By the way, didn't you say earlier that any human that you perform a Wave Change with will lose consciousness and would, therefore, have no control over their body and mind?" Geo asked.

"Yes, I believe I did say something to that effect earlier. Why are you asking about that?"

"Don't tell me that you've already forgotten? Remember how I was still able to keep my sanity while you were occupying my body?"

"Of course I remember that. I'd have to be crazy to not remember something like that. If you're going to ask me why that happened, then have I got news for you. I have no idea. This is the first time I've ever heard of something like this happening. I really don't have any good explanation for this."

"Is it because our Wave Signatures are incompatible with each other?" he suggested with a shrug.

"That's impossible," Omega immediately shot down the suggestion. "If that were so, then we wouldn't have been able to perform the Wave Change. No, it was something else that allowed you to keep your sanity. As to what that something was, I truly have no idea as to what it is."

"Well, I guess there's no point in thinking about it right now. What's important now is that we have to be careful when we perform a Wave Change. We don't want to have the Satella Police breathing sown our necks every time we get into a fight with the FM-ians that are chasing you."

"That's true. We especially don't want that detective guy to figure it out. He'd probably be hunting you down once he knows what you can do."

For a moment, there was silence between the two of them. It wasn't one of those awkward silent moments, though. It was more like a chance for the two of them to digest the info that they had just heard.

"Hey, Omega?" Geo addressed the Wave being. "Can I ask you one more question?"

"Depends on what it is," Omega replied as he got up off the wall and began to float around the room in a pacing manner.

"When you performed the Wave Change with me this afternoon, did you already know that we had the same Wave Signature?"

"To be honest with you, I didn't know it. I was too busy trying to fight the urge to lose consciousness. That and I was trying to figure out what you were saying. Seeing as we were about to be killed either way by Taurus Fire, I just figured that I had nothing to lose. So I just went with it and it ended up working."

"Alright, that's all I wanted to know."

"Geo," they heard Hope call from downstairs, "it's time for dinner! Hurry up and come down here before it gets cold."

"Alright, mom," Geo called back. "I'll be right down."

"You go ahead and eat, kid," Omega said to the boy. "I'm going to just stay in here and think about today's events."

"Okay," he replied as he began to walk out of his room. "I'll see you when I come back up then."

And with that, Geo closed his bedroom door and went downstairs to join his mother for a nice relaxing dinner after a very hectic day.


	14. Reliving A Memory

In this chapter, I'm going to have Omega participate in a little dream. It's also going to be a chance for you guys to see a bit of the side of Omega that I have been hinting about for a few chapters. You know, the side that actually cares about what others do and thinks that having friends is all well and good. I hope you enjoy the small sampling of his hidden feelings in this chapter. Please review as to what you think of Omega's hidden feelings. I could always use suggestions, if you have any.

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**Chapter 14: Reliving the Past  
**

With the night going quicker than they had expected, Geo and Omega decided to go to sleep and call it a day. It was only ten at night, but the both of them didn't feel like staying up late. They wanted to try and get some rest and didn't want to think about Taurus and his crazy attack. Within a couple of minutes, the both of them were fast asleep. Geo was on his bed while Omega rested in the Star Carrier next to the boy on the bed covers.

When Omega had woken up from his nap, he was surprised to figure out that he was no longer at Geo's house. Instead, he was in a totally different place. It was a room that had the look of someone's bedroom. The walls were made up of bricks and the room's interior was meager. Only a bed, a small table with a chair, and a notebook and pencil on top of the table were present in the room. Other than those pieces of furniture, the room was quite empty. Although he wasn't sure of where he was, he had this odd feeling that he had been here before.

Deciding to give this familiar place a look around, he tried to get up off the bed he was laying on, but found that he couldn't. It was like something had him bound and shackled to where he was laying. No matter how hard he tried to get out of it, he just couldn't move.

He tried to think about what he could do in this situation, but found that he was incapable of doing so. He tried it again and again, but came up with the same results as the first time. It was as if something was preventing him from processing even the most simplest of thoughts. All he could do was see what was going on around him and feel the things around him.

Suddenly, he heard a knock coming from the door. He tried to call out to whoever it was behind it for help, but found out that he couldn't. Instead, his body began to move on it's own accord to the door.

When he, or what was controlling him at this time, got to the door and opened it, he was surprised to see who was behind it. It was another EM-Wave being. Although the view of the being was oddly obscure, he could still tell that it was a Wave being standing in front of him.

"Why are you here bothering me during my nap?" Omega's voice drowsily asked, yet at the same time, it wasn't him who said it.

"Oh, come now," the voice of a female said in a teasing manner. "Is that how you speak to a lady who went out of her way just to go to your room? And did you really forget what today is?"

"Yes, I did forget," his voice replied sarcastically with a purposefully big and noticeable yawn. "Would you be so kind as to enlighten me on what's so special about this day, my dear lady?"

"You know, you sometimes act like a dog that was just rudely awakened from it's beauty sleep," she continued on with her teasing tone. "I actually can't believe that you really forgotten what today was for you. It's only _the_ greatest day for you. I can't see how you could forget it. It's your birthday today, Omega! How could you forge something as important as that?"

"Oh yeah, I totally forgotten about that!" Omega's voice exclaimed as Omega himself felt the ears perk up. "I've been so busy lately that I haven't had much time to remember anything else."

"I've noticed that. You've been so busy with work from your new position as one of the FM King's private guard that you've never really had time to be with us, your friends, anymore."

"I'm sorry, but I didn't think that they would give me so many things to do right off the bat. It's kind of overwhelming, to tell you the truth."

"It's understandable. They just want to make sure that you're on top of everything. They don't want you to go die and have them end up losing one of their good men."

"Well, what about you? How come you didn't get as much stuff to do as I have right now?"

"That's because I am a girl. It isn't gentleman-like for them to dump a load of work on me. I'm as delicate as a rose petal."

"More like you're as deceptive as a rose thorn. What did you have to do to make them not give you so much work?"

"Nothing, Omega!" she replied in an overdramatic way as she put one of her hands over her chest. "I never gave them a bribe of sorts. If I did, they would have kicked me out of here before you could even notice."

"Calm down, girl," Omega's voice said with a roll of his eyes, yet also with a small smile. "I was only kidding about that."

"You think I don't know that?" the girl replied with a hint of a smile in her voice. "It's you who can't get it through your thick skull that I'm kidding. Anyway, I just came to wish you a happy twelfth birthday."

And with that, the girl pulled out something that she had pulled out from behind her back. She then took one of his hands and placed it the gift there. When he took a look at it, it was a silver pendant that took on the color of his body since it easily reflected the light. Since it had a flame design on it that was made out of a reddish orange ruby, it looked as though it was alive and alit in it's brilliant flame color.

"Thanks a lot," he thanked her with a bigger smile as he put the pendant around his neck and allowed it to fall onto his bare chest that was devoid of it's armor. "It's really a beautiful pendant. Thanks again. It really means a lot to me that you found the time to come here and give me a birthday present. Nobody here really cares about things like birthdays. In fact, they don't seem to care about anyone else besides themselves and the king."

"That's the one thing that makes us different from them. We actually care for each other instead of only ourselves and the king. I wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, they probably wouldn't be paying attention to us even if they wanted to anyway. We are one of the three youngest soldiers in the history of the king's personal guard to be enlisted. We're going to have some pretty big shoes to fill if we ever want to at least gain a lick of respect from them."

"That's true. Being twelve years old and having to be enlisted in the personal guard is pretty intense. People tend to look down at us as a child. By the way, how's the C-boy holding up with all of this?"

"He's just as childish as he usually is. It's amazing how he manages to get all his work done while keeping up with his childish demeanor. It's hard to believe that he's actually twelve like us."

"Well, he always manages to somehow liven things up. Too bad that's what ended up putting him in suspension until another week."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me. Since he isn't allowed to leave his room, he asked me to give you his present."

Instead of pulling the gift out from behind her back as she did last time, she opened up her right hand that was balled into a fist. Inside her fist was another pendant that had the shape of flowing water. However, this pendant was only the pendant itself. It did not come with it's own chain. Since it was made out of bright sea blue sapphire, the hue from the ruby pendant didn't reflect onto it and allowed for it to keep its original feeling of calm and coolness.

"Since he already knew what I was going to give you, he decided on giving you another pendant that you could easily attach onto the chain," she answered Omega's silent question. "We also decided on giving you the ones with designs that best matched your personality. The flames stand for your strength and courage while the water stand for your calmness you give off in any given situation."

For a moment, Omega was left speechless as he continued to stare at both the pendant around his neck and the one that had just been placed into his open hand. Then, he attached the water pendant onto the chain that came with the fire one and let them dangle together on his chest.

Normally, it would have been odd to have seen a water and fire pendant put together seeing as how they would cancel each other out. However, with the both of them around his neck, they seemed to be a perfect combination for each other.

"Th-thank you so much!" he replied as he felt tears of happiness beginning to blur his vision and sting his eyes. "You guys are the best friends that one guy could ever ask for."

"Oh, come on, tough guy," she said as she gave him a friendly hug. "It's not like you to be crying over something as small as this."

"I know," he replied as he rubbed his eyes. "It's just a bit overwhelming that you two would go out of your way just to give me something for my birthday. No one's ever done that for me before."

"Well, there's always got to be a first for everything," she said as she brought her face up to look at him.

Before he could get a good look at who she was, though, Omega saw his vision go black. For a moment, he couldn't see nor hear anything. Then, he heard a loud noise that sounded like a gunshot.

"Yahhh!!!" he screamed out as his vision came back to him and he jumped about three feet into the air.

Instead of the room that he was just in, he saw the interior of the Star Carrier that he was sleeping in last night. There was no sign of the place that he was just in nor of the Wave being he was talking to.

_Oh, that was just a dream,_ he thought as he brought his hands up to his face and rubbed his eyes. _A totally random one at that, too. Why did it have to be that one, though?_

"Are you alright, Omega?" Geo asked from outside the Star Carrier. "You kind of just screamed right now."

When he came out of the device, he saw that it was nine in the morning according to the wall clock and that Geo was already awake and dressed in his day clothes. He also noticed that he was carrying a stack of what looked like books in his arms and taking them to his closet.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered with a stifled yawn. "I just thought I heard something that sounded like a gunshot, is all."

"Oops," Geo replied as he tried to avoid the Wave being's gaze. "I think that noise came from me. You see, I was just putting some of my textbooks from school away in my closet. I accidentally took too much in one go and dropped a couple of them onto the floor."

"So basically, you just woke me up from my nap by dropping a couple of books while you were doing some cleaning?" he recapped with another yawn, this time not bothering to cover it up.

"That's…pretty much it. Sorry about it, Omega."

"Oh, it's too late to be sorry about it now. I needed to get up, anyway. I was having a crazy dream. I'll be out on the balcony getting some fresh air if you need me, kid."

"Oh, uh, okay. I'll talk to you later, then."

"Later."

With another yawn, Omega made his way to the balcony in hopes that he could reflect on the dream he just had. Leaning on the railing, he was trying to go through the events he saw in his head.

_I can't believe that I actually had a dream about that,_ he mentally sighed. _I guess I just can't forget about that day. It was one of the happiest moments of my life._

As he continued to sort out the things in his head, he reached into his chest armor and pulled something out of it. It was a chain that was around his neck with two pendants dangling from it. One of them looked like a blazing fire while the other had the look of the sea waves.

_How could I ever not forget that day?_ he continued on as he clenched the two pendants in his fist. _It was the first time I actually celebrated my birthday with my best friends. It's not something that you could easily forget. I'll never forget that feeling of happiness that I felt on that day. But because of that, it just makes the painful memories even harder to forget and let go._

As he continued to be lost in his thoughts, they started to become more and more unbearable. Reliving the memories of his past wasn't something he did often, but when he did, it was always a painful experience. As hard as he tried to stop the memories from flooding his mind, they just kept on coming.

In a desperate attempt to get his mind off of the memories, he diverted his attention to the closest thing around him. Subconsciously, his gaze rested onto the two pendants that were in his hands. In seeing those two things that he treasured the most, he felt a single tear roll down his cheek and it fell onto the water pendant, which, in turn, splashed onto the fire pendant right next to it.


	15. The Other Side of Omega

**Chapter 15: The Other Side of Omega**

After he spent a few more minutes trying to calm his raging mind, Omega took a deep breath and quickly rubbed his eyes of any remaining tears. He then put his pendants back into his armor and prepared himself for the oncoming day.

"Hey, Omega," Geo called out to the Wave being as he opened the balcony door and stuck his head out. "Are you feeling alright? You've been out on the balcony for a while now."

"Y-yeah, I'm okay!" he managed to stutter after being startled by the sudden appearance. "I-I was just think of some things, that's all."

"Was it about what happened yesterday?" the boy asked with a raised eyebrow at the Wave being's strange behavior. "Or was it about something else?"

"No, it wasn't about what happened yesterday. Before you start asking me what I was really thinking, though, let me tell you this; it's none of your business," the Wave being replied, quickly turning back into his uncaring and somewhat arrogant self again thanks to the mask he created and forced himself to wear.

"Alright, I won't ask then. I just came out here to tell you that I'm going to be visiting Luna after lunch. Bud and Zack are also going to be there. I was just wondering if you would like to come with me."

"Well, I might as well. Anything's better than standing around in your room and being bored out of my mind with nothing good to do." 

_Actually, I don't want to be by myself again,_ he added silently_. I really don't want to be thinking about that day again. Like I'm ever going to tell the kid that, though. Besides, I'll probably use this opportunity to go and explore this city. I have a feeling that I might be staying here for a long while so I might as well start getting used to the lay of the land._

"Okay, then. Just give me a couple more minutes to clean up my room and then we can have some time to ourselves. Maybe we can find out more about each other"

_Maybe I should just try and be friends with him, _Omega thought as he watched the kid quickly close the door and continued to clean his room. _I mean, he's really putting in a lot of effort into forging a friendship with me. But am I really ready for it? Can I really bear the thought of having friends again?_

_Maybe I'll just wait it out for a couple of weeks, _he continued on with an audible depressed sigh._ I'm just not ready to lose another person that I call a friend. I still haven't started to get over the pain I felt ten months ago. That time, it almost broke me both physically and mentally. If it were to happen again, I don't think that I'll be able to handle it. Oh, what am I doing thinking about all this emo stuff? I better go back inside and find a way to preoccupy myself._

Deciding that going back inside was the best course of action, he floated through the door and back into the room. To his surprise, he saw that Geo was still in the midst of cleaning.

"I thought you said that you only had a couple of minutes worth of cleaning left?" Omega asked with his head cocked to the side in a questioning way. "I've been out on the balcony for about a good five since you told me that."

"Well, I kind of forgotten about the mess under my bed," Geo explained as he motioned with his head to the bundle of toys in his arms. "It's pretty bad down there so it's probably going to be another thirty minutes before I'm done."

"Another half an hour?" the Wave being repeated with a sigh. "What's next? Are you going to add another hour just to clean up the potential mess that's lurking in your closet?"

"Don't worry, the closet's already been taken care of. Besides, the underneath of my bed is definitely the last place I have to clean. Once I've cleaned it out, I'll be done and the room will look as neat as it did two months ago."

"But what am I supposed to be doing while you're busy tidying up your room? You don't expect me to just stand around and watch you do all of this boring stuff, do you?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to. You can go ahead and explore my house if you want. My mom can't see you so it shouldn't be too much of a problem for you. Just make sure you don't cause any technical difficulties if you do decide to go exploring."

"Why would you think that I would do something like that? I'm not as crazy as the other Wave beings that are chasing after me."

"I figured as much. I just felt more comfortable warning you about it. Can't be careful about it, you know?"

"Well, there is such a thing as being a little bit too careful. Have you ever heard of that?"

"Just go on and get out of here. The faster I finish cleaning my room, the sooner I can have some lunch. Once I finish lunch, then we can go ahead to Luna's house for the afternoon."

"Fine, but it better only take thirty minutes. I don't want to hear of another place that you have yet to clean. I'm starting to get restless in here."

And with that, Omega left Geo's room and into the hallway of his house. Figuring that he should take on the kid's suggestion, he went downstairs and decided to get familiar with the home. After all, it seemed like he might be staying in this place for a very long time.

When he reached the bottom ground floor, he noticed that the room kind of branched off. On the left side was the family room complete with the appropriate furniture and a television. On the right side was the dining room where a cabinet filled with new and gently used china dishes stood in a bright corner. The center of the room featured a rectangular table with a small vase of flowers on it and a few well polished wooden chairs. It seemed like the place where the family would get together at meal times and eat while talking to each other about various things. Directly in front of him was what he presumed to be the entrance to the house. A coat rack was standing against the wall a few feet away from the door and had a couple of coats hanging on it. Some umbrellas of different colors were also hanging on the racks.

Just then, something caught his attention. It was the sound of someone happily humming. It seemed to be coming from the direction of the dining room, so Omega decided to go in and give it a quick check.

Instead of finding someone like he had expected to, the Wave being saw nobody within the room. However, he did notice that it was connected to another part of the house. If the humming wasn't coming from the dining room, then it must have been coming from the other room.

Upon entering the other room, he felt the scent of food hit his nostrils. Being that he had never smelled food before, or even seen it for that matter, he was quite taken aback. Sure he's heard of it before, but he'd never seen or smelled it for himself. For him, the smell was so aromatic that it practically captured all of his senses. Because of that, his mind barely registered that Hope was walking around in the room and humming to herself.

_This must be the place where humans prepare their food and stuff,_ he speculated after he managed to get a hold of his senses. _Boy, does it smell good in here. For once, I'm happy that I can actually smell things. Too bad I can't get a chance to taste the food. I wonder how does it taste?_

Before he could get a chance to elaborate on that thought, he heard Hope begin to talk to herself a little.

"What should I make for lunch today?" she asked to no one in particular. "Maybe a nice chicken pot pie would be good. I know Geo really likes it when I make it homemade. Let's see if I have everything in the fridge before I start making it."

And with that, she went over to a rectangular object that Omega assumed was the fridge and opened it. She then began to rummage around in it for the things that she needed to make the lunch.

_She really seems to care about her son a lot,_ he thought as he watched her put some ingredients onto the counter next to her. _She really knows a lot about him. I suppose that's how mothers are supposed to be like. Like I would ever know. I never had one to begin with. All I had growing up was a deadbeat father who got himself into a crazy, pointless scuffle with the FM King's personal guard and was killed for it. Speaking about fathers, where's Geo's dad? I haven't even heard about him ever since I came here. Maybe I should ask him when I go back upstairs._

For the next few minutes, Omega silently watched Hope move to various parts of the kitchen and look for certain items. She took ingredients from the fridge and from the cupboards above the counter. She also took out some pans from the bottom of the counter.

_Now is probably a good time for me to leave. It looks like she's going to be busy for the next hour or so. Maybe I'll just go on back to Geo's room. There's nothing better to do now, anyway._

Before he had completely left the kitchen, he heard a few words that Hope was murmuring while she was preparing everything.

"I wonder how Kevin is doing up there? I hope he's doing well. I remember the times I used to make this when he was home. He would always come running into the kitchen and ask me what I was making."

_I guess this means that his father is…out of the picture. I think I'm going to get out of this room now before I hear anything else._

Within thirty seconds, Omega had left the kitchen, floated up the stairs, and entered Geo's room. It looked slightly different, though, since it was now fully cleaned. Geo was sitting on his chair and was looking at something on his computer. He didn't seemed to have noticed that the Wave being had entered the room.

"I'm back, kid," he said in an attempt to make his presence known. "I see you're done cleaning your room."

"Oh, hey, Omega," Geo greeted him as he turned around on his swivel chair. "You're done taking the tour of my house?"

"Pretty much. It looks pretty nice in here. It's different from what I had in mind, at least. Just goes to show that not everything is what they seem to be."

"Anyway, now that I'm done cleaning, we can have some time to ourselves until lunch. Is there anything that you wanted to ask me?"

"Normally, I would say no, but I will make an exception this time. While I was taking a look around your house, I noticed something."

"What was it?" Geo asked as he looked at the Wave being's seemingly uncaring expression.

"Where's your father?" Omega asked as he let his curiosity get the better of him. "I don't think I have even heard from him ever since I came here."

"He's right now working on a satellite up in space," the kid answered without a hesitation. "He's been up there for a little over six months now."

"Your father is up in space working on a satellite?" he repeated as he mentally kicked himself for thinking that the man was dead.

"Yeah, he is. It's a pretty hard job for him to do. He has to maintain the computers on board and make sure that nothing bad happens to them. Because of his job, he rarely gets a chance to come back down to Earth. I really miss him sometimes."

"I'll bet you do. I know I would."

"And what about you. Omega? Do you have any parents or other relatives on the FM Planet?"

"That's one subject I never speak of to anybody," Omega replied in a very defensive tone. "It's very personal."

"Alright, you don't have to get all protective because of that," Geo said as he was taken aback by the sudden change in tone. "I was just asking you the same question that you asked me earlier."

"I suppose you're right about that," the Wave being replied in an apologetic tone. "Sorry for snapping at you."

"Uh, no problem," the kid answered while giving him a weird look. "Are you feeling okay today?"

"Of course I'm okay. That's a really stupid thing to ask. Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"I-it's just that…you haven't been acting like yourself ever since you went out to the balcony earlier this morning. Is there something on your mind that you want to talk about?"

"I already told you; everything's fine. Nothing's on my mind. Even if there was, I wouldn't go around telling you about it."

"Alright, I got it. If you say nothing's on your mind, then I'll stop asking. Just remember: If you ever have anything you want to get off your chest, I'm here to listen to you, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you. But I'm telling you, I have nothing on my mind."

"I know. I'm just saying it for future reference. Anyway, I'll be downstairs checking up on the news and see if there's any new info on yesterday's incident at Wilshire hills."

And with that, Geo got up from his chair and left his room. Omega was left to ponder on the words that he had said before he left.

_Just remember: If you ever have anything to get off your chest, I'm here to listen to you, okay?_

His words echoed through his mind as the Wave being considered the offer. It wasn't like they were friends, yet the kid was still trying to lend a helping hand.

_Maybe I should start telling him more about me,_ he thought. _However, I don't think he's ready for it. He'd probably be overwhelmed if I gave it all to him now. I'll wait a week or two and see if he'll be ready then. If he is, then I'll start to tell him about myself. I wonder, though. What kind of satellite does the kid's dad work in that it requires him to be there almost every day? Is there something special about it that they have to keep it up-to-date or something?_

As he continued to be immersed in his thoughts, the time quickly passed and before he knew it, it was eleven. That meant that Geo would be having his lunch any minute now.

Figuring that they'll be leaving right after the kid was done eating, Omega went downstairs to accompany him. That and his only form of portable transportation was in Geo's pocket. He was also dragged there by the alluring scent of what he figured to be the chicken pot pie Hope was making coming from the kitchen.

By the time Geo was done eating the lunch Hope had made for him, it was half past eleven. He went up to his room and got himself ready for the afternoon. In the meantime, Omega decided to wait for him by the doorway while Hope went to clean the dishes. That and he wanted to immerse himself in the smell of the chicken pot pie that still lingered inside the dining room. About a minute later, Geo was back downstairs with his shoes on and was ready to go.

"I'm going now, mom!" he called to his mom as he gave Omega a smile. "I'll try to be back by dinner."

"Okay," she replied from her spot within the kitchen. "You make sure you behave out there. Don't get yourself into any unnecessary trouble."

"I won't. I'm going to be at Luna's house, anyway. I wouldn't even dare think about causing any trouble at her house even if I wanted to."

"I know. I just feel that I still have to remind you. Please try to not get yourselves caught up in another incident like yesterday. I understand that it was just a coincidence that you four were there, but please be careful out when you go out. The world's quickly becoming a dangerous place."

"I promise I'll be careful. I'll try not to get caught up in those things. I'm going now. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Geo. Don't be out too late."

And with that, the kid ran out the door with the Wave being close at his tail.


	16. Getting to Better Know One Another

**Chapter 16: Getting to Better Know One Another**

As Geo was walking the short ten minute walk to Luna's house, he noticed that Omega was traveling alongside him instead of hitching a free ride in his Star Carrier. It was a bit unusual for the Wave being to do that, but the kid only knew him for a good two or three days. With that in mind, he couldn't really say that it was an out-of-character moment.

"I'm guessing that you're out here in the open because you just wanted to get some fresh air, right?" Geo asked without bothering to ask why he was even out in the first place.

"Whatever happened to you asking me the question first and then having me give you a sarcastic answer?" Omega asked with a small hint of sarcasm in his voice and a half-smile on his face.

"I just had a feeling that you might say something along the lines of that as a type of answer," the boy replied with a cocky smile. "I may have only known you for a couple of days, but I already have a feel of how you normally act around others and phrase answers."

"Am I really that easy for you to read?" the Wave being asked with one eye slightly wider than the other.

"Pretty much. Anyone can tell what kind of Wave being are, provided that they hang around you for almost the whole day for two days like I have."

"Nice to know that I leave a great impression on those I just met. Anyway, I just thought of something. I never really asked how you are able to see us Wave beings without any kind of visual aid. As far as I can tell, you're able to see me with only your naked eye."

"And you'd be right on that accord. I've always been able to see anything and everything that went on in the Wave world ever since I was born. For me, it's a pretty normal way of living life; being able to see the events of both worlds and figuring out how they effect each other."

"But all this time, I've been under the impression that you humans could only see us if you had some sort of visual aid. I've never heard of one who was able to see my world in such detail without such help."

"I'm not surprised. It's pretty rare to hear of something like this here on Earth. When it is heard of, though, then the person who has this ability would be sent to some kind of medical institute."

"Why would they want to do that? Was it because they were turned into freaks due to this ability as they grew older?"

"It's nowhere near that intense, Omega. However, people _did_ start to consider them as freaks simply because they were able to see the technological side of the world. In other words, they were different from the rest of society."

"Isn't that…a bit judgmental?" Omega asked with a frown. "Why do they judge them so critically because of this? Not that I care about what you humans think."

"Let's just say that people tend to be afraid of things or other people that are different from them," Geo explained with a dejected sigh. "Because of that, people would be afraid of me if they knew that I could see the Wave World. Actually, ignorant would be a better way to describe it. Except for my parents and my closest friends, nobody knows about my secret."

"If your parents know about it, then why didn't you tell your mom about me when you had the chance, kid? It's not that I'm complaining about it or anything. I'm just…curious as to why, is all."

"Well, my mom and I came to an agreement on the subject. Unless it's absolutely necessary, I shouldn't talk to her about it. She doesn't want to be with her friends one day and accidentally give out too much information that I gave her regarding a virus attack. It'll make her look suspicious and could possibly end up becoming a lot of trouble. It's not that she's a mom who can't keep her mouth shut. She knows when is and when's not a good time to speak. She just tends to go overboard with the idea because she doesn't want me to be subject to whatever it is that they do at those medical institutes for people like me."

"Sounds like your mom really cares about you," Omega stated with the faintest hint of longing in his voice. He then added in a barely audible whisper, "That's something I never got to experience."

"What was that you said?" Geo asked. "I didn't quite catch it."

"I said that your mom really cares for you," the Wave being repeated while leaving out the part that he whispered. "She's taking an extra step just to ensure your safety. That's pretty nice of her, if you ask me."

"That's what mothers tend to do best. They always try their best to make sure that their children are out of harm's way, even if it means that they have to go overboard with it at times."

"What about your friends? Didn't you say that your friends know of your Wave World vision?"

"I did, but what does that have to do with my mother?"

"It doesn't. I'm just wondering as to why you told your friends about it? Was it really the safest thing to do? Seemed pretty dumb to me."

"Well, let's just say that I had a little slip of the tongue when I was in third grade. Thankfully, it was only the four of us at the time I said it. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't even be here right now."

"And who are these friends that you have so 'confided' in with this secret of yours?"

"You've met them before. Remember yesterday just before the incident started? The guys that you saw through the Star Carrier screen were my friends."

"Oh, those three. The ones that were practically knocked unconscious for the entirety of Taurus' rampage. Are you sure that they can be trusted with something as delicate as this?"

"Of course I'm sure. Best friends always keep each others secrets."

"There you go again on preaching about what best friends are. When are you going to give it a rest? There are no such things as best friends. There are only those that you can speak to of certain topics and that's it. They aren't even considered to be friends. 'Friends' are those who pretend to care about you and then stab you in the back when you least expect it."

"I see that you're still dead set on thinking that friendship is nothing, but a farce," Geo sighed as they stopped at an intersection. "At least try to keep the conversation that we had yesterday afternoon in your mind."

"Are you talking about how friendship can help shape a person and all of that other philosophical talk?" Omega asked with a roll of his eyes.

"I don't know if I would have considered it philosophical, but that was what I was referring to."

"Yeah. Well, no promises on me keeping that on my mind. I'd probably just forget about it within the next few minutes."

"Oh, you're hopeless Omega, you know that?"

"So are you, kid."

By the time they were able to cross the intersection, the two of them were still going on about how hopeless the other was. Luckily, Geo was in a residential area and there were no other people on the sidewalks on this weekday afternoon to witness him "talking to himself".

When they had finally stopped arguing about who was more hopeless, Geo had barely noticed that he had almost passed by Luna's house. With a small blush of embarrassment, he retracted his steps and went up the long walkway that led to his friend's house.

"Boy, this girl sure has a big, grand house," Omega stated as he stared in awe at the building in front of him.

And Omega was right; the house _was_ pretty big. It was a two story building that seemed to lay in a background scenery with a glorious garden in the foreground to serve as a front lawn. A wrought iron gate, which happened to be opened at this time, separated the grounds of the building from the rest of the public area. The garden consisted of oak trees that lined up along the sides of the pathway and bushes with red roses and yellow honeysuckles that stood in front of them.

The house itself was, as I already said, a two story building. Despite it being a small normal-sized house in terms of height, it more than made up for it in terms of length. One would think that there were over a hundred rooms in such a place. The walls were painted a clean bright yellow and the front door was shaded with a stone awning that was held up with stone pillars. Overall, the entire outer appearance of the house along with the garden gave it a truly grand look.

"That's Luna's house for you," Geo said as they made it to the front door. "A well trimmed garden and nothing but a fresh coat of paint to erase any unsightly deterioration on the walls makes it a beautiful sight. You couldn't miss it even if you wanted to."

"I'm guessing that she's one of those people who have a lot of money to burn on anything she wants," Omega speculated as the kid knocked on the door.

"That's pretty much right," the boy agreed as they waited for someone to open the door. "Both her mother and father are co-founders and CEO's of this big name company that specializes in the video gaming industry. From what I've heard on the news, they're pretty well-known nationwide in their part on 'enhancing the video game experience' and all that other stuff."

"Sounds like a pretty lucrative business her parents are in. It must really send the cash coming in waves to them."

"Yet amazingly, she's not as spoiled as one would think her to be. It's true that she has a bit more money than the rest of us that are around her age."

"I think a 'bit more' is a major understatement, kid."

"Regardless, she doesn't go buying everything that catches her eye. Sure, she tends to buy some of the most expensive things, but she doesn't go on a shopping high or anything like that. It's just not her style."

"I'll be surprised if that were really true."

Before Geo could say another word on the subject, the door opened and a young man in a black tailcoat, a fancy white shirt with a black tie, and black dress pants stood in front of it.

"Ah, good afternoon, Mr. Stelar," the man, who Omega assumed to be the butler, greeted the boy with a polite bow. "Ms Platz has been expecting you. Please come on in and make yourself at home."

"Thank you, sir," he thanked the man as he entered the building's grand foyer with Omega silently following him inside and taking in the sight. "Do you know where Luna is right now?"

"I suspect that you will find her conversing with Mr.'s Bison and Temple in her private chambers upstairs," the butler explained in a very polite fashion that made the Wave being feel like gagging.

"Thank you, sir," Geo said as he tried to ignore Omega's sign of fake sickness. "I'll go ahead then and meet her in her room."

"If you so wish to do so," the butler said. "Is there anything else I can do for you before I take my leave?"

"Uh, that's alright. I'll just make my way upstairs now."

"As you wish, Mr. Stelar." And with another polite bow, the butler left the two of them alone to tend to his other duties that awaited him in the house.

"How can you stand people like that?" Omega asked while making another fake gag. "He's being so overly polite."

"That's how he's supposed to act," Geo explained as he made his way to the stairs that were in the back of the foyer. "He's supposed to be all polite and stuff to all of the guests that come to visit their employer's house."

"But isn't that going a little bit overboard with the greeting and the formality, kid?" the Wave being asked.

"The man gets paid to go overboard with the politeness and the formalities. As stupid as it may sound, it's his job."

"Yeah, well, he really ought to learn to take it easy with the job. He seriously almost made me gag back there."

"Whatever you say, Omega. Anyway, let's hurry up and get to Luna's room. I want to go ahead and see what she wants to talk about."


	17. Failed Attempt to Keep a Secret

**Chapter 17: Failed Attempt to Keep a Secret**

"Ah, perfect timing, Geo," Luna's voice said as he and Omega made their way to the top of the stairs. "You've arrived right on time."

When he turned his head to the left hallway, he saw Luna standing in front of an open door with her hand on the doorknob. She still had her hair in the two crazy-looking ponytails and was still dressed like an ordinary grade school kid. Except for the subtle scent of some kind of expensive perfume on her, there was nothing that indicated that she was a rich girl.

"Don't I always come to these meetings on time?" Geo asked in a rhetorical tone. "Unless I had a very good reason, I would almost never be late."

"It's nice to know that you're so committed to being so punctual," she commented as he walked up to her and was allowed inside her room. "It sounds like you're on your way to becoming a perfect gentleman."

"A perfect gentleman?" Omega repeated with enormous doubt in his voice. "That sounds like something that you're never going to be capable of doing. I can't even see you holding a door open for a girl."

Instead of giving a remark to the Wave being, Geo just ignored him and went on in to greet Zack and Bud. Zack was sitting on a chair that was nearest to the window with his laptop on his lap while Bud was sitting next to Luna's dresser.

"Hey everybody," he greeted them as he found a spare chair in the room and took a seat. "Nice to see that you're all doing well and good. How's everything been going on with you two ever since yesterday?"

"Surprisingly well, thanks," Zack answered as he looked up from his laptop and adjusted his glasses. "My parents were really freaking out, though, when they came to pick me up at the police station."

"The same thing happened to me," Bud replied as he got up from his seat next to the dresser. "It was hard to even get a single word in with my parents going into their crying mode. They were just hugging me as if I was going to go away. It was like they had just lost me and I had somehow come back from the dead."

"That's perfectly understandable," Luna chirped in as she closed the door behind her. "All of us were caught up in one of the most intense virus that Echo Ridge has ever seen. To be honest with you, I didn't think that we were going to be able to survive that. I have no idea how we even did."

"According to what the Satella Police said when they questioned me, they said that all of us were unconscious during the entire attack," Zack explained as he tried to remember his portion of the police questioning. "However, they did say that they found Geo wide awake when they went to investigate the area."

"That's exactly what they said to me, too," Bud recalled. "They kept repeating the same question over and over again as if I was trying to hide something from them. Then, they started asking me about how Geo was the only one still conscious when they found us. It was as if they thought I was lying or something."

"That's how they treated me, too," Luna said in a slight huffy tone. "The nerve of those police officers. They were trying to treat me like I was some kind of common criminal. They asked me one question a dozen times and I answered it the same way a dozen times. But they did bring up something interesting. It was that Geo was the only one who was conscious when they found us. Why was that, Geo?"

"I guess it was because I was lucky at the time," Geo simply replied for a lack of a better explanation.

"_Too_ lucky if you ask me," Omega added with added emphasis on the first word. "That luck of yours pretty much forced us into that battle."

"But what was it that you were doing while we were trapped by the flames at the front of the mall?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. "Where did you go while the three of us were trapped?"

"I was just trying to find a way to get you guys out of there," he answered semi-truthfully. "I was trying to find some one to help me put out the flames. After a good five minutes or so, I gave up and decided to come on back and see how you were holding up. When I came back, I saw that the flames had already died down and that you were all okay. That's all that happened while you guys were trapped."

"Nice save there, kid," the Wave being commented with a sly smile. "I didn't know you had it in you to come up with an on-the-spur excuse like that."

"Then how were you able to retain your consciousness while the rest of us couldn't?" Zack asked the next question. "All of us feel that it's strange that you're the only one who didn't lose his consciousness. What happened during the time that the three of us were out cold?"

"Uh, would it be fair to say that I have absolutely no idea?" Geo sheepishly said with a small shrug of his shoulders.

"That's not good enough, Geo," Bud stated as he crossed his arms. "The three of us already know that the attack at Wilshire Hills was caused by a virus. The police kept telling us that when we were being questioned by them back at the station. Being that it was a virus attack, shouldn't you have been able to see what was happening in the Wave World or even what was attacking the place from there?"

"There was too much dense black smoke coming from the raging flames. That and the explosion that caused you guys to be knocked out caught us all off guard. That attack on us was so sudden that I didn't really have the time to be looking around for the EM Wave being that was causing all this destruction. I was busy trying to make sure that you three were all okay."

"What's an EM Wave being?" Luna asked when Geo said the unfamiliar phrase. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Oops," Geo said as he began to search for another plausible excuse. "Uh, you see…, It's just a…,"

"Great job, kid," Omega sarcastically replied with a roll of his eyes. "How are you going to get yourself out of this one?"

"It's a… An EM Wave being is just…a more advanced form of the common virus," the kid quickly stated. "It's something I learned when I went to AMAKEN to visit a family friend a few days ago."

_And the kid pulls another fast one out of his sleeve,_ Omega thought with mild fascination at Geo's ability to think while on the spotlight. _With this kind of quick thinking, he'd probably become a great partner to work with._

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain what you were doing while you were awake," Zack reminded him with an impatient stare. "What was going on during the time before the Satella Police came onto the scene?"

_God, they're being pretty persistent,_ Geo thought as he gave a nervous chuckle. _I'm starting to run out of excuses and explanations._

"Well, once I saw that the three of you were all okay, I decided to have a quick look around to see if I can locate the cause of all the damage."

"And did you ever find it?" Bud asked. "Did you see what was causing the trouble and had nearly killed us all in the process?"

"Uh, n-no, I didn't really see him," he stuttered. "The darn bull was busy raining down fire and trying to charge into buildings for me to get a very good look."

"You're lying," Zack instantly interrupted him. "You just told us that the Virus looked like a bull. That and viruses don't have a gender type. I know you. You always refer to them as 'it' instead of 'him' or 'her'. Why the sudden change, Geo? There's no reason for you to make that change unless you really did get a good look at it, or as you put it, him."

For a moment, all Geo could do was look at Zack in shock at his barely noticeable slip of the tongue.

"That…was pretty observant of the little guy," Omega, who was just as shocked, managed to squeeze out.

"Okay, okay," Geo conceded. "I did get somewhat of a good look, but that's all I saw. I didn't get much of a chance to do anything except to stay with you guys and make sure that you were okay."

"You're still hiding something from us," Luna observed with a small frown. "If you would lie about something as small as seeing the virus, then what's to keep us from believing that you only did what you said you did? It's not polite to be keeping a woman in the dark without a good reason."

"Speaking about hiding things from us, what was that thing that we saw in your Star Carrier before the attack?" Bud asked as he remembered seeing Omega. "You never did explained what it was."

"Wh-what does this have to do with anything?" Geo asked with a stutter.

"Well, I just can't help feeling that the thing we saw is a part of the reason that you're hiding something from us," he said. "It's just a weird feeling that I have now that I remember it."

"Yeah, what was that thing?" Zack asked with great interest. "From what I remember, it was blue and green. It wasn't a virus because the Star Carrier was designed to deflect their presence. Seeing that it could also talk, I don't really believe you when you said that it was a mechanical glitch. That and they wouldn't have put yours onto the market if it was a glitch of sorts."

"Boy, this kid sure knows his stuff," Omega commented in amazement. "How are you going to talk your way out of this one?"

"Uh, I don't remember," Geo asked while pretending to feign ignorance. "What thing are we all talking about here?"

"Don't play dumb with us," Bud replied impatiently. "You know what we're talking about. We're talking about that weird thing that we saw when you showed us your Star Carrier."

"Oh, that thing!" he replied with fake realization. "I already said that it was merely a glitch in the system. It was nothing."

"And I already told you that it's not," Zack reminded him. "As I already said before, they wouldn't have put yours on the market if that were the case. Stop trying to beat around the bush and start giving us the answer to our questions."

At this remark, Geo visibly flinched. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was sorely beaten by his friends. It was a simple battle of wits and he lost against his friends.

"Well, it sounds like they have you beaten," Omega said with a sigh. "I must admit, though, it was quite a thing to watch. What I don't understand is why you went to all that trouble just to not tell them about me and what you saw."

"It was so I could protect both you and them from the guys that are chasing you," the boy replied with a sigh without bothering to make sure that his friends didn't hear it.

"What did you say?" Luna asked in confusion. "Who were you talking to just now?"

"I was talking to the Wave being that only I can see. He's basically made out of the same stuff like the other viruses. If you were to use the special function in the Star Carrier, then you'd be able to see him, too."

"Do you mean to tell us that the Wave being is right now not inside your Star Carrier?" she asked for clarification.

"That's right. However, he could go in and out whenever he pleases. In fact, how about you go in right now so that everybody can get a good look at you?"

"Are you sure about this, kid?" Omega asked with some doubt in his voice. "What about trying to 'protect both me and your friends' as you so nicely put it?"

"It's alright. They already got me beat. Besides, it could be helpful to have someone besides me know that you are here."

"I don't really see the logic in it," the Wave being admitted. "How is them knowing that I'm here going to help me in the long run?"

"I'm not sure, but it'll probably make itself known a little later. For now, just go inside my Star Carrier so I can properly introduce you to them."

"Alright, kid. I only hope that you know what you're doing." As Omega was making his way into the device, he and Geo noticed that the others were staring at the boy as he talked to seemingly thin air.

"Don't worry, guys," he said in a joking manner. "Everything's okay. I'm not going insane or anything like that."

"Who were you talking to?" Zack asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I was talking to the Wave being that you saw in my Star Carrier yesterday," he explained as he held up his device for the others to clearly see. "Let me introduce you to the Wave being that I met a couple of days ago. His name is Omega-Xis, but I tend to call him Omega for short. Omega, these guys are Luna, Zack, and Bud, my best friends."

"Hey everybody," Omega called out from the device with a uninterested wave of his hand. "Nice to see you all."

"I-it's nice to meet you, too," Luna politely greeted Omega with a stutter that resulted from the shock of seeing an actual denizen of the Wave World for he first time.

"Wow, a real life virus!" Bud exclaimed as he went in for a closer look.

"Actually, that isn't a virus," Zack explained. "It's too sophisticated to be one. That and it's right now in Geo's Star Carrier. As to what it really is, I have no idea."

"Then, let us both explain it to you," Geo said with a sigh. "Let me just warn you that the story might take a little while to explain. So you best make yourselves pretty comfortable while you can.


	18. Explanations and Coverups

Sorry about the little waiting period. Had to finish up with the last days of work and get myself ready for my last year in high school. Thank you for being patient with me in updating. This might be one of the few chapters that will be coming out before next week. Once next week comes, it might take me a little longer to update this story because of school. Don't worry, I'll still be working on it and updating. It'll just take a little more time than it did during the summer vacation. In the meantime, please read this new chapter and review it.

* * *

**Chapter 18: Explanations and Cover-ups**

After spending over an hour in Luna's room explaining the events that have occurred during the past couple of days, Geo and Omega were both mentally tired and somewhat irritable. It was harder to explain than they thought it would be. Just to relive most of the events for explanation purposes and having to answer some complicated questions along the way was quite debilitating.

"And that's pretty much how it all happened," Geo managed to summarize with the help of Omega. "Omega's right now crashing at my place until the heat on him starts to die down a bit. It'll probably be a while until it does, though. So in the meantime, he's filling me in on facts about his home planet."

"Okay, so let me see if I got this all right," Zack said while lightly pinching the bridge of his nose. "Omega is a Wave being from outer space and is a part of a Wave World race known as the FM-ians. For some unknown reason that he never discussed to you, he fled from his home planet, the FM Planet. Because of that, he has a herd of his fellow FM-ians chasing him, or in Omega's terms, the FM King's personal guard. Until they can successfully bring him back to their planet, they'll continue on with their search for him. And that's how everything stands right now, right?"

"Heh, I'm really impressed," Omega commented with a hint of amazement in his voice from within Geo's Star Carrier. "For a human kid, you got a pretty sharp mind. That's pretty much the entirety of my situation in a nutshell. The guys that were following me probably already heard from Taurus that I'm right now crashing on this planet."

"Taurus is the other Wave being thingy that took over my body during it's attack at Wilshire Hills, wasn't it?" Bud asked with a grimace at the thought. "At least, that's what I got the impression of while you guys were explaining it."

"As much as I hate to say it Bud, you're right," Geo confirmed with a sigh. "It took almost everything that Omega had in him just to get Taurus out of you. Trust me, it wasn't the most easiest thing for him to do. It was already hard enough for him to make Taurus lose his concentration and extinguish the flames from his earlier attack, even though he did have some help from me."

"You sure showed a lot of guts going up against Taurus and insulting him like that, kid," the Wave being said with a chuckle. "Especially since he's the type of guy to have a pretty short fuse when it comes to being insulted. I didn't know you had it in you to go through with something as crazy as that, though. I figured that you would have run off screaming before our plan even had a chance to be put into action."

"Did you really have that little faith in me at the time, Omega?" the boy asked with a mock frown.

"Of course I did," he replied. "After that, though, I have gained some confidence in you. Mind you that it's only a little. I'm still a bit skeptical on your actual capabilities in the field of battle."

"Oh well, at least it's a step up from where you had me classified as; a kid who probably couldn't stand his ground when faced with the possibility of death."

"I must admit, you're a one-of-a-kind kid. Never would have thought that you would be that brave. Either that or you're just real stupid."

"Excuse me, you two," Luna interrupted them. "Before you continue on with your argument, there's something that I would like to ask."

"What is it, Luna?" Geo asked with a sigh.

"Ever since you two started explaining the situation, I couldn't help but to find something slightly off," she explained with a thoughtful look. "When Omega was talking about the other Wave being, he seemed to be implying that they were of the same strength. After that other being took over Bud's body, or so you two seem to say, that's when you got very sketchy with the details. Yes, the three of us understood it when you said it, but I personally found the description to be unusually vague. Is there something else that you two are hiding from the three of us?"

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Geo asked with a nervous chuckle. "Me and Omega told you guys everything that we knew about that day. Besides, everything was happening so fast that I probably missed a few small details. I don't see why a little vagueness is merit enough for suspicion."

"Then, what about Omega?" Zack added on to the question. "Shouldn't he be having a better description of the battle after Taurus took over Bud? After all, he _was_ the one who was personally fighting against him."

"Hey, I don't make it a habit of remembering the details of every battle that I participated in," Omega stated without hesitation. "If I did that, then I would consider myself a guy who has nothing better to do in his spare time. Besides, Taurus Fire struck me so hard a few times that I periodically felt a bit dazed."

"Then how were you able to keep on fighting?" Bud pressed the Wave being. "If you kept feeling dazed, how were you able to keep up with Taurus?"

"I'm an FM-ian warrior," he explained with an offended look. "I don't easily lose my focus in the heat of a battle because of a stupid dizzy spell. Even though I had a hazy head, I still managed to keep my concentration in check. All that mattered to me at the time was to figure out his next move and taking him down. I could have cared less about trying to remember exactly what I was doing. All I knew was that he was repeatedly charging at me like some kind of raving lunatic and I had to figure out a way to stop him. Does that answer your questions people?"

"I suppose it does," Luna replied after a moment's silence. "It still sounds like there are some missing details, but I suppose that's just my female intuition kicking in. I can only imagine how hard you must have fought in that battle, though. From what I saw on the news, the entire place was in pretty bad condition."

"That's what happens when you have a full blown fight with an EM Wave being," Omega sighed. "Things can get pretty hectic in a hurry."

"While we're on the news topic," Zack started, "let me ask you something else, Omega. Did you happen to see anyone else with or around you during your fight?"

"Unless you're talking about you four kids that where there at the time, then no," Omega immediately responded. "Nobody else was there during the fight."

"Are you sure?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow. "Because there happened to be an eyewitness who saw the event unfold. He said that he saw two beings fighting each other. Since you said that you were still in your EM Wave form, or at least that's what you implied, it's safe to say that the person didn't see you. However, that makes it pretty strange. If the eyewitness saw Taurus Fire, then who was the other being that was fighting against him?"

"A-an eyewitness?" Omega asked while barely managing to cover up his small stutter. "There was another person watching the whole thing going on?"

"Oh yeah, I remember seeing that news segment," Bud exclaimed with a nod of his head. "He said that a thing that looked like a bull with an aura of fire surrounding it just suddenly appeared out of thin air. That's obviously me and Taurus. He also said that a small, wimpy-looking kid in a black jumpsuit and blue armor with a dog head for a hand also came out of nowhere and seemed to challenge the bull."

"A small wimpy-looking kid with a dog head for a hand?" Geo repeated with a small twitch of his ears while Omega was giving off a few coughs that sounded suspiciously like laughter. "Did he seriously say that?"

"That's what I remember him saying," the chubby boy recalled. "He said that the wimp and the bull were fighting for a good five or so minutes. Did you or Omega get a good look at the other Wave being that just came out of nowhere?"

"Uh, there was just way too much smoke for me to have seen the battle very clearly," Geo quickly came up with an excuse. "I could barely even make out Taurus Fire's outline through it. If there was another Wave being there, then I could have easily missed it."

"Don't go looking at me for answers," Omega immediately replied before anyone could ask him. "I already explained it to you earlier. I was periodically feeling dazed throughout the battle. All I was thinking about in that condition was what Taurus Fire was doing and how to beat him. I could have just as easily missed another Wave being coming into the battle."

"Jeez, talk about a warrior who doesn't even bother to pay close attention to his surroundings," Zack said with a small smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean, glasses boy?" the Wave being asked in a slightly threatening manner.

"Nothing, I was just teasing you," he responded, seemingly unfazed by the tone of Omega's voice. "That does leave us with another question, though. Who was that Wave being that the eyewitness claimed he saw?"

"We may never know," Luna said with a small sigh. "He might appear if the bull or another one of his friends happened to show up and cause some more havoc. Mind you, I'm not saying that I want our town to be attacked again."

"Personally, I don't think it really matters," Geo commented in an attempt to end the conversation. "The important thing here is that we all managed to make it out of that mess alive and without a single scratch. I'm also sure it's safe to say that the other Wave being is a good guy. After all, he did put up a fight against Taurus Fire."

"I suppose that's true," she replied with a smile. "As long as he's not another one of those Wave beings that likes to cause havoc, then I suppose it doesn't matter who he is. Anyway, I'm starting to feel a bit tired right now. Could you tell me what time is it right now, Zack?"

"It's a little past four," Zack answered as he checked his laptop that had been left on the entire time. "We've been in here for almost three hours now talking about what happened during the incident."

"Is it really past four?" Geo asked while stretching his arms and legs. "Boy, time sure flew by pretty quickly. I better make my way on home. My mom didn't say it out loud, but I think she wants me home early today just in case I get caught up in another attack. I can tell that's she's worried about me after yesterday's fright."

"It makes sense," Bud said as he got up from the chair he was sitting. "My parents said that they wanted me home by six for the next week because they were still scared at the fact that I was in that situation. If you ask me, our parents seem to be worrying way too much about us."

"Well, what else do you want them to do?" Luna asked with her arms crossed. "It must have been a real shock for them to hear that you were at the police station after being found at the scene of an attack. Be happy that they at least show that they care for you. My parents are always too busy doing business overseas that they could care less about me. The head butler of the house had to come down and pick me up himself. They didn't even call in to see if I was alright. The nerve of them. You think that they could show a little more concern for their only daughter."

"Well, they are pretty busy people, Luna," Geo tried to calm the rambling girl. "You can't really blame them. Maybe they were caught up in an important meeting and they couldn't get word of what happened to you. I'm sure there's a good reason as to why they didn't try calling to check up on you."

"Then, I'm pretty sure that they were stuck in important meetings when it was my birthday just a few weeks ago," she began to ramble on again. "They didn't call in to wish me a happy birthday. They could have at least done that. And how about the time when it was parent's day at school? They were here at the time yet they said that they were too busy to go. It wouldn't have killed them to take five minutes of their time to have a talk with my teachers. And what about the time that I was so sick that I had to go to the hospital to see what was wrong with me? Instead of coming in themselves, they sent the head butler to check up on me. They said that they couldn't afford to get sick because they didn't want to lose a very important client. And another thing…,"

"Alright, alright, we got the picture," Omega aggravatingly replied. "Just stop with the rambling and give it a rest already. We don't need to hear your life story. It'll just be a waste of our time."

"I'm sorry, what did you say, Omega?" Luna asked while staring at Geo's Star Carrier with a raised eyebrow. "I didn't quite catch it."

"A-anyway, I think I better make my way out of here," Geo quickly butted in with a nervous smile before the Wave being could repeat what he said and make Luna ramble on even longer. "I'll see you guys later."

"Wait just one second, Geo. I want a word with that Omega-Xis!" she called out to the two of them in vain as they left her room.

By the time she got to her doorway, Geo was already on the ground floor and was speed walking out the door that was being held open for him by one of the many butlers that roamed the grounds.


	19. Omega's Earth History Lesson

**Chapter 19: Omega's Earth History Lesson**

"Jeez, that girl really likes to run her mouth off a lot," Omega loudly sighed as he and Geo entered his house after walking back from Luna's. "It's as if she wants to tell us her entire life story or something before she croaks."

"Oh come on, Omega," Geo said with a roll of his eyes as he made his way up the stairs of the currently vacant house. "Luna's just trying to vent out some of her feelings. It has to be pretty hard on her to not have her parents around when she really needs them. I don't think I could live in a house with only butlers to keep me company while my parents are out in different parts of the globe doing business."

"I can't either, but for entirely different reasons altogether," the Wave being commented with a fake gagging gesture. "Having one of those penguins following you around all day and giving you all that formal crap is literally enough to make one sick to their stomach. It's almost as if they have nothing better to do and just do it to annoy the heck out of you. I mean, did you see how one of those guys was going to bow at you just as you were leaving her house?"

"Well, it is their job to be polite to both their employer's family and the guests," the boy explained as he opened the door to his room. "I'll admit, they sometimes do tend to go a little overboard with the overly politeness to everybody. As I said before, though, that's what they're paid to be doing. They're supposed to act all formal and calm and all those other nice attitudes."

"I don't care what you say about them," Omega replied with clear dislike in his voice. "They're still just stuck-up people looking to annoy someone if you ask me. I'll be having some alone time on the balcony if you need me."

And with that, Omega came out of the Star Carrier in less than a second. He then made his way through the glass doors and was leaning on the balcony railing.

_That was pretty abrupt,_ Geo thought with a raised eyebrow. _Does he really hate butlers that much? I guess that he's not the type to be formal. Didn't strike me as the type to be when I first met him, anyway._

After he took off his shoes and placed them where they should be, he walked over to his computer and sat down on his chair. With a quick glance, he checked the time that was displayed on the monitor.

_It's almost four-thirty,_ he thought as he began to surf the internet. _Mom should be home in about another thirty minutes. I wonder where she went to, anyway? She was still at home when I left earlier. Ah well, it's not like it's any of my business to know. I'll just go on ahead and see if there's anything new on the net._

For a few minutes, Geo mindlessly surfed the net with nothing particular in mind. He was just seeing if there was anything interesting that caught his eye. He went to an online shopping site to see if they had anything of interest that he could put on his summer wish list. Overall, he was just shifting through the many links from his computer with no particular site in mind.

"What are you skimming through on that thing, kid?" Omega's voice suddenly asked from behind Geo.

With a startled jump, Geo turned around on his chair and saw Omega staring over his shoulder at the computer monitor.

"Did you have to scare me like that, Omega?" he gave out a shaky sigh as he put a hand over his face. "What were you thinking scaring me like that?"

"I was thinking about having a little fun with you since I'm pretty much bored out of my mind right now," the Wave being simply replied with a devious smile. "Anyway, you never answered my question. What were you skimming through on that thing? What's it called anyway?"

"It's called a 'computer', Omega," the boy explained as he turned back to face the monitor. "It's basically a machine that allows me and other people to look up on certain things without leaving their home. Think of it as a window that allows you to see what you want to see provided that you punch in the correct information. We can also see things that are from a different country with ease."

"So does it mean that if you wanted to look up some information regarding the Wave World, it would give it to you?" Omega asked in an effort to better understand the unusual piece of machinery.

"Not exactly. Sometimes, the information that you're looking up doesn't come up. It's either not there or it's unavailable. In this case, very little information is given that concerns the Wave World. Whatever is given to us is what the scientists interpret it to be. They see it as a terrible side effect of the mass production of electronics and global expansion of the internet over the past couple of hundred of years."

"What kind of crazy scientists do you have here on Earth?" Omega asked with a what-the-heck look on his face. "How is it that they claim the Wave World as something that is to be viewed as terrible?"

"Well, they base it on the findings during the technological war of the 21st century," Geo explained as he started to give a little history lesson. "They called it the 'Wave Wars' because of the immense usage of technology that emitted various types of Wave frequencies. Basically, the waves that were used as weapons during the war had different effects depending on how they tuned them. Some could be used to render the enemy completely incapable of doing anything while others could force a bomb or mine to detonate prematurely."

"That's…pretty intense," the Wave being said with shock in his words. "I'm normally not a history kind of guy, but this story on this event that you call the 'Wave Wars' sounds really interesting. Humans using the Wave frequencies as weapons of mass destruction against each other in battle? I've never heard of it before. Is it really possible to create something like that?"

"According to what's written in my school history book, it is. They even built simple devices that used Wave frequencies. For example, they created a Wave emitter that allowed the wielder to pinpoint the location of any people or foreign objects that were near him or her. It was basically a little mini map that showed everybody and everything as little dots on the screen within a set distance."

"Sounds like you humans were too smart for your own good. How is it that the Wave War came to end?"

"After spending a little over five or so years fighting each other, the two sides decided to come together. It's hard to believe, I know, but that's what historians say what happened. Apparently, they somehow figured out that they were being manipulated by one person who seemed to be the originator of the entire war. No one knows the person's name, but it seemed that he was some sort of scientist that had gone insane after years of failed experiments with Wave frequencies."

"And that's how everybody came to believe that the Wave World was a negative impact on the world simply because it houses the thing that caused their stupid war, the Wave frequencies? That's why people today like you are sent to these special hospitals for examinations because they think that you'll will eventually become insane if not immediately treated?"

"That's pretty much it. It's pretty stupid when you take the time to think about it. Everybody figured that the scientist turned insane due to very prolonged exposure to the Wave frequencies that he had somehow managed to make into a somewhat gassy state. From what has been recorded, the gaseous Waves were able to be seen with the naked eye. It was described as like looking at an endless desert with the scorching hot sun beaming down on the sands. From this, they concluded that the gaseous Wave can somehow mess with the brain's primary functions and would tend to cause otherwise intelligent people to do what they would normally never do. Of course, there is no proof of it actually being the case. They just figured that the scientist was cooped in his hideout all day and night with the gaseous Waves slowly being breathed into his body and corrupt his mind."

"How did the Wave Wars ended up being resolved between the two sides? Did they come up with some sort of appealing agreement?"

"It ended with both sides coming together to capture the crazy scientist that started the entire thing. Using the weapons that he had supplied both armies against him, they infiltrated his base of operations and incarcerated him. They also confiscated all of his other devices and schematics of future Wave devices. In an unanimous vote, they publicly executed the scientist via Wave frequencies; the very thing that he had created became his style of execution."

"I suppose that's one way to take care of an insane enemy," Omega commented as Geo was nearing the end of the intriguing piece of history. "What did they do with his spare devices and schematics that were at his hideout?"

"They destroyed his creations along with his base of operations," Geo explained. "Apparently, the guy was dumb enough to leave all of his ideas and creations in one place. It wasn't as though he had much of a choice, anyway. Historians say that the government was keeping a very close eye on him at the time and he couldn't set foot into the streets without the risk of getting caught. Based on that information and other intelligent resources, they've concluded that the only schematics and devices that were used in the war were in that building and on the soldiers, which were also destroyed along with the hideout."

"So basically, you're saying that those devices along with the schematics no longer exist in this day and age," the Wave being concluded with crossed arms. "But how do you know for sure that someone else won't just pick up from what that crazy guy left off? What's to stop another crazy smart guy like him from creating more Wave weapons for mass destruction?"

"Ever since the end of the Wave Wars, the government has taken very extreme measures to make sure that something like that never happens again. They monitor any and all experiments that has to do with Wave frequencies. As of today, this Star Carrier is probably the most advanced piece of technology in terms of Wave frequencies, seeing as it can allow people to see the Wave World."

"But that doesn't make much sense," Omega replied with a look of confusion on his face. "If people are so afraid, or at least feel somewhat uncomfortable, of the Wave World because of the Wave frequencies, then why would they want to take a look at the thing that they fear the most?"

"Some just find it intriguing that another world apart from ours actually exists in the same place we occupy," Geo answered with a small shrug of his shoulders. "They just want to see how your world looks like. Besides, it's not like it's allowing people to be directly exposed to the Waves. It's not even capable of turning the Waves in your world into what they describe as a gaseous haze. If that were the case, then I don't think that the government would have allowed these devices to be released to the general public."

"That's just one more reason why I think you humans are funny creatures. So that's it? That's why everybody in this day and age don't like people who can see the Wave World like you can? That's why you're trying to be secretive about it so they don't end up shipping you to some special hospital where they can examine you to their heart's content?"

"That's basically it. I still don't know how they came to think that the gaseous Waves they mentioned in the history books caused that scientist's insanity. They haven't even committed to any worthwhile tests to prove that theory. I don't see how they can only take one incident like that and make it into a reason to fear something that people haven't even taken the time to properly research."

"What can I say? You humans are easily controlled by the fear of something so strange and abnormal. All of you never take the time to seriously think about what that strange thing really is. Actually, change 'all of you' to 'most of you.' You seem to be the exception to that. You seem like the type to think things through before jumping to conclusions."

"Was it just me or did you actually give me something that sounded like a compliment?" Geo asked with slight disbelief.

"What, am I not allowed to?" Omega responded as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"No, it's just that I never once heard you give me a compliment ever since I first met you," he explained as he thought back to the past few days.

"Well, there's always a first for everything," the Wave being simply replied. "Who would have thought, though that I would have learned so much about this planet's history by asking one simple, unrelated question: 'What is that device called?'"

"I didn't actually think that you would be that interested in the Wave Wars. Then again, it sounded like it was something right up your alley, what with all the war and all that other good stuff."

"Hey, just because I'm an FM-ian who was once a warrior doesn't mean that I liked that story because it had a nice little war bit in it. I just found it very intriguing that you humans actually once found a way to use the Wave frequencies as a base for the creation of weapons for mass destruction."

"Well, as you said earlier: 'There's always a first for everything.'"

"Geo, are you home?" Hope's voice suddenly called out from downstairs as the front door was heard closing.

"Yeah, mom!" Geo called out to his mother. "I'm in my room right now surfing the net!"

"Alright," she answered back. "I bought us some dinner while I was out doing some last-minute shopping for groceries. How about you come down and eat now? It's almost six. It's pizza if you're interested."

"I'll be right there," he replied as he began to shut down his computer. "Just give me a couple of seconds."

"Mmm, I can smell that food from all the way up here," Omega said as he eagerly sniffed the aroma that was traveling into the room. "What I wouldn't do to at least try one bite of the food that you human's eat. It sure smells pretty good."

"It's nothing to get excited over," Geo tried to calm the Wave being's sudden desire to try human food. "It's just the one thing that allows us to go through the entire day without collapsing from starvation."

"I know, but I still want to try it, if only once," he whined like a child.

"No use whining about it like a little kid. It's not like it's going to make any difference."

"I know that. You don't have to act like my mom."

"So what's it going to be? Are you going to stay up here or have yourself suffer by watching me and my mom eat?"

"I think I'll just spend some more time alone up here on your balcony. I need some time to think about the history lesson you just gave me, anyway."

"Alright, then. I'll see you around later in the evening, Omega."

And with that, Geo left his room and headed downstairs to where his mom was. This left Omega alone in the room with only his thoughts to keep him company.

_A war that had the usage of devices that depended on Wave frequencies,_ he thought with great interest as he laid his body down on Geo's bed. _I never heard of something like that. It's very interesting to think about. I can't believe that they actually used it as a tool for war, though. You'd think that the humans would have better things to do rather than to waste their time fighting each other. Then again, that's just my opinion on the matter. Jeez, that pizza smell downstairs sure smells good._


	20. Midnight Meeting

New chapter. This one has all of the FM-ians making an appearance without the use of their names. This was also the hardest to create simply because I have to create eight different personalities. That and I tried to give it a bit of a humorous twist. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Please review the chapter with any feedback that you have, both positive and negative.

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**Chapter 20: Midnight Meeting**

A few hours after dinner was finished, Geo was getting himself ready for bed. During this time, Omega was busy hanging out on the balcony feeling bored out of his mind again. Aside from the very interesting history lesson that he had received earlier in the evening from Geo, the night held no excitement for him.

"You're going to bed already, kid?" the Wave being asked in a peppy tone. "It's not even that late in to the night yet."

"Come on, Omega," Geo said with a small yawn. "It's already eleven. I don't know about you, but we humans need to have our sleep so we can be ready for the next day. Besides, today's meeting at Luna's place has me feeling somewhat tired. Aren't you at least feeling a little bit tired yourself?"

"Not really," the Wave being simply replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "I still have a lot of energy left in me. I feel like I can go to the end of the galaxy and back in less than an hour. I probably won't be crashing for a good while."

"Is that even healthy for you?" the boy inquired with concern in his voice. "Don't you guys need sleep in order to do better the next day?"

"Some of us do, but those who are FM warriors don't usually need much of it. We've been trained to stay up long hours for that possible occasion where the enemy tries to sneak up on us and destroy us. You're probably thinking that it's stupid, but that's what we're trained to do."

"If you say so, man. Just remember: You're the one who said that it was stupid, not me. Just let me ask you one more time, though. Are you sure you're not feeling even a slightest bit tired?"

"I already told you, kid. I'm not even the least bit tired. I have so much energy in me that it'll probably last me the entire night. There's no way that I'll be falling asleep anytime…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Omega felt himself give off a loud yawn. Geo, who saw this and remembered what the Wave being was ranting on about, managed to stifle a chuckle with some difficulty. Obviously, he was more tired than he was letting on.

"Are you sure you're not feeling tired?" Geo asked in a teasing voice. "Because it looks like you are with that loud and big yawn of yours."

"Oh, that was just a random moment," Omega answered in a slightly softer tone as he barely managed to stifle another oncoming yawn. "I'm really not that tired. I'm just feeling bored, that's all."

"I'm finding that really hard to believe," he said with a smile. "I'm already seeing your head starting to droop a bit. That and your eyes aren't a big as they were this afternoon."

"I'm just squinting my eyes because I thought I saw something on that wall," the Wave being lied in a steadily quieting voice. "Besides, my neck is just getting tired from looking around too much. Just because it's drooping…doesn't mean that…I'm in the…least bit…tired…"

Just as he finished his last sentence, Omega gave off one more huge, loud yawn. His body then fell against the wall he was nearly leaning against and he had officially nodded off to sleep. He was giving off very light snoring sounds in the process and his breaths were coming in a slow even pace.

"So much for saying that you're full of energy, Omega," Geo said to himself as he watched Omega's sleeping form with a smile. "You can't even stay awake while you're talking to me. It's kind of funny how you kept trying to make me believe that you were actually wide awake and ready to take on anything that came your way. I just don't understand it, though. Why do you insist on playing the tough guy? Are you afraid to show any kind of weakness in front of me? Or is it that you still don't seem to really trust me that much yet?"

Feeling another small yawn building up in his throat, he decided to give the thought a rest along with his tired body. After all, it was already past eleven and he had something planned for tomorrow. Tomorrow was when he was going to take Omega and go visit Aaron at AMAKEN. He wanted to seek his advice on what he should do with Omega around him.

_Maybe I should tell Omega about my plans for tomorrow when it's morning,_ he wearily thought as began to fall asleep. _I wouldn't want him to be mad at me because I didn't tell him about it. Then again, he seemed to be pretty eager when I told him about Aaron and the Star Carrier for the first time. Maybe he'll just be plain excited at the thought. Knowing his personality, though, doesn't really seem to be very realistic. Oh well, I'll think about it tomorrow._

With that final thought quickly slipping his groggy his mind, Geo closed his eyes and was fast asleep. The only sounds that were in the room now were the sounds of the two of them lightly snoring.

---Meanwhile---

In an undisclosed location somewhere within the Echo Ridge city limits, the FM-ians that were pursuing Omega were holding a meeting of sorts in an abandoned warehouse. They were a group of eight EM beings that have been chosen by the FM King to serve as his personal guard. Currently, they were all standing in front of a screen that depicted a blurred being on the other end.

"It has been a while since you last contacted me, my men," the being said in a tone that exuded great authority. "I was starting to get a bit worried. Have you managed to find the traitor yet, my men?"

"Yes, we have, my liege," someone from the group answered gracefully. "With the gracefulness of a swan and the cunningness of a hawk, we've confined him onto a single planet by the name of Earth. It's a planet that houses the only human species within the entire galaxy."

"Humans, you say?" the FM King asked with obvious interest. "What a convenient planet for him to be trapped on. Of all planets, only Earth has the technology that you all can use to your advantage. After all, some of their creations could easily rival ours if given the chance. I do hope you all remember what you've been trained to do in case of a situation such as this."

"We have, indeed," another of the king's guards replied. "If I recall correctly, we have quite a few beneficial choices at our disposal. It's either: A). We can use the human's technology against them to find the traitor. Or B). We take over a human and use them as a power source to appear in the real world."

"I think both choices have already taken effect, you decision-making nerd," a female's voice butted in. "After all, I believe _someone_ disobeyed orders and decided to slither his way out into the city like a snake."

"Are you guys talking about me?" a tough voice that belonged to Taurus asked in an offended tone. "I was just going out to do what you guys didn't want to do. I went to look for the traitor while you were all sitting on your tails."

"Our orders were to stay put and wait for the right time to launch our attack, beef ribs," another FM-ian practically barked out. "Because of you, we have to come up with another plan in order to go around the problem you caused."

"What did you just call me, dog?!" Taurus practically bellowed in anger. "Why don't say that again and we'll see who's creating a problem around here!"

"Enough, you two," the FM King commanded in a calm, yet stern, voice. "I don't particularly care about your plan being compromised at this point. The crucial point here is that you found the traitor. The one important thing I want you all to remember here is that I want you to bring him back to the FM Planet, willingly or unwillingly. If he resists, then I give you permission to use whatever means necessary to take him down. If necessary, you can destroy whatever gets in your way. That is all. I shall take my leave now and leave this in your hands."

"A moment please, Your Majesty," a somewhat echoic voice suddenly spoke. "I believe there is something that we have yet to tell you."

"And what would that be? Let me warn you, though, that if this isn't of any importance, I will not listen to you."

"I assure you, this is of the utmost importance," the echoic voice reassured the king. "Even though I didn't agree with Taurus' earlier antics, I must admit that he did manage to uncover some details that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. As you are already aware, he has already managed to find a human that is compatible with his Wave signature."

"From what I've heard, he was also sorely beaten by the traitor," the FM King interrupted, clearly uninterested in the topic. "I already have an idea as to what transpired during Taurus' reckless rampage through the arguments you had amongst yourselves. He managed to succeed in turning into Taurus Fire yet he was sadly beaten by the traitor's nameless Merged form. In other words, the traitor has already found a human to transform with. If that's what you were going to tell me, then I'm afraid that we'll have to cut this conversation short. I expect you to impart to me information that has not already been made clear to me the next time we talk."

And with that, the connection was abruptly cut off and the eight of them were facing a blank screen.

"Nice going, ghost man," a childish voice chirped in annoyance. "Why didn't you just cut to the chase and tell him about the traitor's host's unique ability to see us Wave beings without any kind of help?"

"I was just trying to build up to it," the ghost-like FM-ian replied in an attempt to defend himself. "Besides, I wasn't quite sure if what Taurus said would be considered reliable in the king's point of view. After all, he does tend to be a bit…loose upstairs in the thinking department."

"Heh, you got that right," the childish voice agreed with a small chuckle.

"I heard that, you two," Taurus growled threateningly.

"You got to admit that it's true, though, beef ribs," the dog like FM-ian teased him. "You don't usually think before you act."

"No one asked you, you dog!" he yelled at the offending Wave being.

"I ain't no dog, you bull! I'm a wolf and I'm a proud one at that."

"Enough, boys!" the female's voice exclaimed. "You're giving me a really big headache with your constant arguing."

"Then why don't you just slither your way on out of here like the snake that you are?" the wolf snapped at her.

"Excuse me?" the snake-like FM-ian asked in a clearly offended tone. "What did you just say to me?!"

"I foresee two possibilities here," the geeky FM-ian observed calmly. "A). She decides to leave the room before she starts going down their throats. B). She goes down their throats and, as a result, won't let any of us hear the end of it. Either way, it'll be very bad for all of us here."

"Um, could I ask you all something?" the eighth and last member of the group asked in a melodic voice. "Who exactly is this traitor that you're all referring to? I don't believe I ever had the opportunity to catch his name yet."

"Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever heard of his name either," the childish voice also recalled. "Do you guys mind telling us if you even know what his name is to begin with?"

"Of course we all know his name," the graceful voice answered. "We are of high enough rank to be blessed with such knowledge. However, you two are the newest recruits in His Majesty's personal guard. You are not yet privileged to know of the traitor's name. You might, however, accidentally stumble upon it during the duration of our pursuit here on Earth. So I suggest that you both be patient and it will come to you in due time."

"If you say so," the melodic voice replied with a sigh. "I do wish, though, that you would stop talking in such a refined manner. To tell you the truth, it tends to get pretty annoying within the first minute."

"A swan is supposed to speak gracefully," the graceful FM-ian replied. "After all, the swan itself is a graceful animal. I would speak in no other manner than this."

"Oh well, it was worth a shot in trying to make you stop."

And with that, she and the childish Wave being decided to keep watching the argument that was still going on between both Taurus and the wolf FM-ian and the snake FM-ian. Actually, they were watching the aftermath of it, which was the three of them practically duking it out with their own two fists. At least they had enough control that they remembered not to use their powers, therefore causing this old warehouse to collapse along with their base of operations. Tonight was going to be a very long night indeed.


	21. Physical Contact?

This is my last chapter update from my summer vacation. The next ones will be coming from during my school year. That being said, it might take me a while to be updating since I'm going to have to study hard on my last year of high school. I promise you this, though. I'm not going to abandon this story. I should be able to update this story at least once a month, if not more. Just wanted to get that out. Anyway, for those of you who still go to school, hope you have a great school year. If you don't, then have a great year nonetheless. Please leave a review when you're done reading this chapter. Thank you!!!

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**Chapter 21: Physical Contact???**

"Hey, Omega," Geo softly called out to the sleeping Wave being the next morning. "It's time to get up now. It's already a little past ten right now. I have somewhere that I want the both of us to go to."

"Just give me a few more minutes, you guys," Omega mumbled in response, who was still leaning against the wall from last night. "Let me sleep for just a little while longer. I promise I'll be up and ready before our training session starts. Just stop knocking on the door."

Geo couldn't help but laugh at what Omega had just said. It was pretty obvious that he was still fast asleep and probably won't be waking up anytime soon. That's when he got an idea. If he won't wake up the conventional way, then he'll scare him awake. If he did that, though, then that would definitely make the Wave being want to kill him. Then again, it was probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him, so it was going to be worth it.

"Hey, Omega," he called out to the Wave being again, this time with a false sense of urgency in his voice. "The guys that were chasing you just found out where you're hiding and took us to where their hideout."

"What?!" Omega practically shouted as he practically jumped a good foot into the air and was now completely awake. "Where are they?! Did you see where they took us?! They didn't destroy your place, did they?"

This time, Geo practically fell off his bed and onto the floor while clutching his stomach. He was uncontrollably laughing his head off at the scene his roommate was making. Obviously, he wasn't the type who liked to be so rudely awakened. Then again, who would like to be awakened in such a fashion?

When Omega finally realized what was going on, he immediately became very angry. As to prove the point, he gave a piercing death glare to the kid who was still in a fit of laughter.

"What was that all about, kid?!" he angrily asked Geo, who was still on the floor recovering from the hard laugh. "Did you have to scare me like that just to wake me up? I really ought to slug you for doing that to me."

"Well, it was your own fault for not waking up quickly enough," the kid said as he finally calmed down and managed to sit up on the floor. "I just had to do it. Besides, you couldn't even touch me even if you wanted to."

"Don't start toying with me," Omega warned as he went closer to Geo. "Trust me, I'm not a force to be reckoned with so early in the morning."

"I can see that," Geo replied with a half-smile. "You're practically in a berserk mode right now all because of me waking you up. You really ought to learn how to relax a bit, Omega."

"Oh, I'll show you relax, alright. In fact, I think I'll go ahead and show it to you myself right now!"

And with that, Omega practically went right in front of Geo and pushed him hard onto his back. Surprised, the kid gave out a yelp as his back made contact with the carpeted floor.

"How's that for being relax, kid?" Omega asked triumphantly at the startled boy with a conceited smile. "How does it feel to be the one on the receiving end of something so sudden?"

Instead of answering him back, Geo just continued to stare back at Omega in complete shock. This continued on soundlessly for a little over ten seconds. As he started to feel uncomfortable and somewhat concerned with the unnatural staring, the Wave being spoke up.

"Uh, why are you staring at me like I'm some kind of freak on display?" the Wave being inquired at the boy's sudden change in behavior. "Did I suddenly grow a pair of horns on my forehead or something?"

Geo didn't answer and just continued to stare back at him in shock. To be honest, it was starting to get a bit unnerving.

"Snap out of it, kid," Omega said as he began to shake the boy on his shoulders. "What's gotten into you, all of a sudden?"

"Y-you're shaking me around," he finally answered as the wave being continued to shake him back and forth.

"Well, of course I am," he replied with a sigh of relief. "You just sort of spaced out on me all of a sudden. What else was I supposed to do? You were starting to scare the heck out of me."

"N-no, that's not what I meant," Geo continued to stutter. "You're actually _physically_ shaking me back and forth."

"You already said that," the Wave being grunted in annoyance. "What's the point in you repeating…Gah!!!"

Struck with sudden realization, Omega immediately took his hands off of Geo's shoulders and was now staring back at him in shock.

_D-did I really do that just now?_ he wondered as his eyes grew wide with surprise and shock. _B-but that can't be right. I shouldn't be able to do that. It's impossible for me to do anything like that! He's only a human kid that's been here all his life. I'm just an EM Wave being that just came to this planet a few days ago. This is nowhere even near possible!_

"Umm," Geo said with a audible gulp of uneasiness. "So…, what just happened here, Omega?"

"Why are you asking me that, kid?" Omega asked as he recovered from the initial shock. "I practically know just as much as you do on this one. I have no idea what happened. I don't know how I did that!"

"B-but what you just did is practically impossible!" the boy loudly exclaimed as he quickly jumped onto his feet.

Thankfully, his mom had to go to some jury duty thing earlier that morning. Otherwise, she'd be probably running into his room the moment he shouted just to see what all the commotion was about.

"You got that right," the Wave being answered with a nervous chuckle. "If you being able to see and talk to me was a real shocker, then this definitely takes the cake."

"How can you, an EM Wave being from the Wave World, be able to physically touch me, a human from the real world?" Geo asked as he was moving onto the secondary stage of shock. "That's impossible!"

"I definitely have no answer for this whatsoever. Heck, I don't even know who to go to _for_ an explanation! I don't think there's anyone within this galaxy who could even muster a hint as to how we can do that."

For a few seconds, the two of them were silent and had their eyes on the floor. They were busy sifting through the events that occurred only a few moments ago in their heads. It was so amazingly cool yet strange at the same time.

Being able to physically touch the human and, in turn, probably be touched by him seemed pretty freaky to Omega. He wasn't sure how Geo was interpreting this. He was either thinking that this was very cool, which seemed unlikely, or he was thinking the same thing that he was right now. Either way, he knew that they needed to find someone who has even the slightest idea as to how this was all happening.

Suddenly, Geo abruptly brought his head up, his eyes indicating that he had just came up with an idea.

"I think I might know someone who can give us an idea on all this," he said as Omega brought his head up to look at the boy. "Or at least a very, very rough sketch as to what's going on. He's only a thirty minute bus ride from here. Good thing I was planning on visiting him today anyway."

"Visiting who?" Omega asked with a raised eyebrow. "What's the guy's name? Is this guy you're going to go see going to have some sort of explanation to all this craziness between the two of us?"

"His name's Aaron," Geo answered. "Aaron Boreal. That's the guy I gave you very little information about a couple of days ago because you didn't want to tell me more about yourself."

"Are you talking about the guy who you say created the Star Carrier? The one you say is a friend of your family? If so, then how's he going be of any help to us? Isn't he what you humans call an inventor?"

"The very same person. However, Aaron's more than just an inventor. He's an expert on the study of EM Waves. That was the basis of his idea in creating the Star Carrier, or at least that's what he told me at the time. Regardless, his main expertise lies in anything that is or revolves around the concept of EM Waves. If there's anyone on this planet that could possibly know the answer as to why we can do the things that we do to each other, then he's our guy to go to."

"It sounds like you really have a lot of faith in him, kid. From the way you speak of him, it almost sounds as if he's the guy with all the answers."

"Of course I have that much faith in him. He's practically like an uncle to me. Besides, he's also the only one besides my friends and family who knows about my ability to see the Wave World. He's the only person I can trust with this."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that," Omega admitted with a groan. "You can't just walk up to a random person and tell him about us, can you? If he's the only guy you think can explain these things to us and who knows of your uniqueness, then I guess we don't have much of a choice, but to go to him for help."

"Then we better get going if we want to see him," Geo said as he made a quick dash to the bathroom with a change of clothes in his hand. "It's already half past ten. By the time we get there, it should be around a quarter after eleven. He should be off for lunch at eleven-thirty."

"Geez, do we have to cut these things so darn close, kid?" the Wave being shouted as he heard the bathroom door close. "Why couldn't we just ask him about it after his precious lunch break is over?"

"Because he'll probably be busy for the rest of the afternoon," he heard Geo's slightly muffled voice explain. "If we're going to have a talk with him, catching him before lunchtime is our best bet."

"I suppose you're right. Just let me ask you one thing. Is this Aaron really that busy almost everyday?"

"Pretty much. Sometimes, he'll get a small break and would have almost nothing to do, but those moments are pretty rare and usually short-lived for him. He'd be lucky when he has a day where there's no work for him to do."

"Sounds like a pretty busy guy. Do all humans that work have terribly busy days like him?"

"He just happens to be an exception. Then again, when you work as a scientist in a field of study that requires you to help the Satella Police when needed, you're bound to be pretty busy."

"Wait a minute. Back up just a moment there. Did you say that the guy works for the Satella Police?" "Not officially, but he helps them with certain things from time to time. He helps them examine any new stands of computer viruses that they have captured and brought to him in his personal lab." "But aren't the Satella Police the ones who went to the place Taurus attacked to search for us EM beings?" "If you're talking about the incident at Wilshire Hills, then yeah," Geo replied as he walked back into his room in his casual clothes.

"Then why would you want to consult with the guy who could easily contact them at a moment's notice?" Omega asked as he transferred himself into the Star Carrier on the computer table. "Sounds like a stupid move, if you ask me."

"To you, it probably seems stupid," the boy said while shaking his head as he took the device off the table. "But that's because you haven't known him for as long as I have. Unless it's something illegal, Aaron would keep what we've discussed between the two of us. I have known him long enough to be comfortable in saying that he would never rat us out to anyone. That saying, he would definitely not say anything to the Satella Police about you being here or my uniqueness."

"If you say so, kid," the Wave being replied with a shrug. "I already know what you're going to say when I preach to you about how stupid this is, so I'll just shut up and go with the flow. I will say that something about this doesn't feel right, though."

"You really have to learn how to trust others a bit more, Omega. It could really be a nice change for you. And who knows? You just might find someone who's desperately trying to be your friend."

"What are you insinuating with that, kid? You saying that I can't make any friends here on Earth?"

"Uh, no, that's not what I'm saying at all. I was just trying to give you some advice, is all."

"Yeah… Well, next time, keep those useless suggestions or advice or whatever it is you call them to yourself. I don't deal with frivolous things."

"Well, at least it's nice to know that you don't view _me_ as something frivolous," Geo replied with a touch of sarcasm.

"Trust me, you just happen to be borderline in my book," Omega said as he was stuffed into Geo's pants pocket. "I just tolerate you only because you're the only one who'll even allow me to hide out with you."

"It's not as though I had much say in the matter, anyway," he heard the boy mumble through the fabric of the pants. "The occasion practically forced us to stay together. It's a bit of a pain at times."

"You got that right, kid," he agreed. "This isn't really all that enjoyable."

"But if I ever got the chance to go back in time to try and change it, you know what I'd change? Absolutely nothing. If you ask me, the two of us meeting each other was probably the greatest thing that has ever happened to me in my entire life."

"Huh? What are you talking about? What do you mean by 'nothing'? I don't really understand."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is… I'm glad that I met you, Omega. I'd probably be having a somewhat boring summer if I didn't go to Star Gazing Point that night. Despite the situation we're in, I'm actually doing something that I could only dream about before this. I've actually managed to become a part of the Wave World, even if only temporary."

"You actually enjoy taking part in the Wave world? What about the fight that you had with Taurus? I'm sure that that wasn't enjoyable."

"Well, that fight did prove some drawbacks, but that was also a part of what I could only dream of doing. I also wanted to participate in some of the things that you guys could only do in the Wave World. I guess that fighting another EM being falls under that category."

"Wow. I didn't know you had such an adventurous side. It's… pretty shocking."

"That's what everybody says when I tell them that. Anyway, back to the original topic. How do you feel about us being together?"

"Uh, why are you asking me about something like that? In fact, what's it even got to do with me?"

"Oh, nothing," Geo replied as he walked downstairs and quickly grabbed a fresh bagel from a bowl on the dining table before walking out the door. "I was just wondering how you felt about meeting me for the first time. Is there anything that you would like to change if you could?"

"Um, I… think I'm going to have to give you a rain check on that one, kid," Omega replied rather hesitantly. "I need time to remember the details on how we met before I can answer that question."

"Fair enough," he let the matter go with a shrug as he made sure to lock the door behind him. "Anyway, the important thing right now is that we make our way to AMAKEN before Aaron leaves for lunch."

"I'm guessing that AMAKEN is the name of the company that he works for, right?"

"It's not really a company per se, but that is the name of the place he works at. It's actually more of a science research building than it is an actual company. What I'm trying to say is that they don't usually mass produce the things that they create. Most of their creations are not meant for the general public. Before you start asking, the Star Carrier is one of those rare exceptions to that."

"I wasn't going to ask. I already had that figured out. What I was going to ask was about the things that they created. If they're not for other humans to use, then why create them in the first place?"

"I think I'll let Aaron explain that to you once we get there. He knows more about it than I do. In the meantime, let's just try to hurry up and get to AMAKEN. The bus should be here in another five minutes. Better hurry if I want to catch it."

"The bus gets here at ten forty-five, right?" "That's right. I should make it in… What?! It's here early! Why did it have to come early today?"

Before Omega could say anything, he could feel Geo making a run for it. Judging by what he could only hear, he figured that the kid barely managed to get onto the bus before it left the stop. He then felt his host take a seat on one of the seats.

"You really seem to like cutting things very close today, don't you?" Omega teased in a soft whisper that only he and Geo could hear.

"Hey, it wasn't my fault that the bus decided to come early today," Geo defended softly as he took out his Star Carrier. "Look, let's just drop it for now. It's usually busy for the bus around this time and I don't want people to think that I'm talking to myself. We'll talk once we arrive at AMAKEN."

And with that, the two of them didn't say another word for the duration of the bus ride. For the next thirty or so minutes, they occupied themselves by watching the different people boarding and leaving the bus. Before they knew it, they had finally arrived at their intended destination a little earlier than they had expected.


	22. Seeking Expert Advice

**Chapter 22: Seeking Expert Advice**

As Geo walked into the main foyer of AMAKEN with Omega in tow, he noticed other people we're also inside viewing whatever it was that the place had to offer. However, he noticed that there were less people from when he had last visited.

"I guess today's not a great day for people to be here," he said to no one in particular. "This place is usually at least half packed. I wonder why it's half dead today?"

"Because some people were scared from the Wilshire Hills incident," a familiar voice replied from behind them.

Quickly turning his body around to see who it was, he saw Aaron standing behind him with a somewhat tired expression on his face.

"Oh, hey Aaron," Geo greeted out of surprise more than politeness. "I thought you would be in your office right now."

"Unfortunately, the Satella Police had other plans for me," Aaron sighed out with a shake of his head. "They want me to figure out what was the cause of the incident two days ago. From what your mom told me, you and your friends were caught in the middle of the whole thing."

"Uh, you could say that," the boy admitted as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway, how does the police expect you to find out what caused it?"

"Well, they said that they found a couple of interesting Wave fragments at the scene," the man explained in a hushed tone to indicate that it was sensitive info. "They brought it to me in hopes that I could examine them and break down the data. From it, I should be able to find out what caused the devastation."

Omega managed to suppress his outburst of surprise, but it still came out in a sort of strangled cough. Thankfully, it sounded quite muffled that it could have passed for one of the passersby coughing from a distance.

"Oh, you…can do that?" the boy asked nervously while trying to hide his shock and cover up the muffled cough.

"It isn't the most easiest thing to do, but it's manageable in an annoying way. So far, though, I haven't been able to make heads or tails of the two data fragments. I can say one thing for sure. The data came from two separate Wave forms that seem more sophisticated than viruses. That and both of them were fighting each other prior to them being left. It has scar-like marks as if a scuffle forced them loose."

"So basically, the small bits of data are basically like when a human gets injured and bleeds?" Geo asked for confirmation.

"That's one way of putting it. However, one of the data fragments has something very interesting on it. I'm not so sure about it now, but it seems to have a fusion of both Wave data and human DNA."

"What?!!" Geo shouted so loudly that both passersby and staff members turned to look as the two of them.

For a good ten seconds, an awkward silence filled the foyer as everybody in the room was staring at the two of them. Aaron then gave a nervous chuckle was blushing a bit from embarrassment.

"Uh, nothing going on here folks!" Aaron said to them as he continued to nervously laugh. "The boy here's just a bit hard of hearing. Sorry!"

And with that, he practically shoved the boy into the direction of the staff elevator. Obviously, he wanted them to talk in a place more private than this in case another uncalled outburst happened to make itself known. A second later, the doors opened and Aaron pushed Geo in first before going in himself.

"Next time, I'm pulling you off to the side before I tell you anything like that," the man sighed as the doors closed and he pushed a button. "I should have known that you would have been that surprised."

"S-sorry, Aaron," Geo apologized with a blush. "I didn't mean to do that. It was just…really surprising to hear about that."

"I'm sure it was," Aaron replied, quickly regaining the same attitude he had before the scene. "Even I almost yelled in surprise at such a revelation. A Wave data fragment containing a modicum of human DNA? That's never been heard of in the history of all Wave studies!"

"I'm assuming that you told everybody here about this incredible fact, right?" the boy asked in a failed attempt at a stoic attitude.

From within his pocket, he could hear Omega softly grunt nervously in the Star Carrier. Unless one was actually paying attention to something as soft as that, no one could have heard it.

"Actually, it's the opposite. Except for you, I've told nobody about this. Think about it for a moment. Most scientists barely know an adequate amount about the Wave World. Their knowledge on it would probably be considered mediocre at best. Even if I were to tell this to one who was well informed in the field, they would think I was crazy. The thought of a Wave fragment fusing with a bit of human DNA is an inconceivable thought."

"I suppose that's true. I mean, so many people already don't know anything about the Wave World. Telling a scientist about some kind of relationship with a human and some kind of Wave form would be a one-way ticket to the nut house."

"That's why I was planning on consulting this with someone before I released my findings to the Satella Police. As long as they don't press me for the details, I can hold off on my decision until I talk to someone. In fact, the person I was planning to talk to about all this was you."

M-me?!" Geo asked in surprise. "W-why would you want to ask me about something like that?"

"Because these Wave samples were found at the site of the attack; namely, Wilshire Hills," Aaron explained as the elevator was slowing to a stop. "That's also where you were hanging out with your friends at the time. If there's anyone on this planet who could help me shed some light on this mystery, it would be you."

When the elevator stopped, the doors opened and they were once again on the floor where Aaron's cluttered office was. However, someone was waiting on the other side of the door to gain access to the elevator.

The man waiting behind the door was tall and skinny. He had on the same AMAKEN jacket that Aaron was wearing, which signified that he was an employee here. He had dull brownish hair that seemed mildly unkempt and had visible dark circles under his eyes. Apparently, this man hasn't been getting a lot of sleep lately.

"Hello, Aaron," the man politely greeted him. "I thought that you were going to leave for somewhere during your lunch break."

"Actually, there was a slight change of plans on my part, Tom," Aaron explained with a quick smile at the man who Geo found out to be Tom. "It seems as though the person I was going to visit came to visit me instead."

"Convenient for you, isn't it?" Tom asked in a joking manner.

"It sure was," Aaron replied back with a chuckle. "By the way, let me introduce you to someone. This young lad here is Kevin's son, Geo. Geo, this man is Thomas Dubious, but everyone around here calls him Tom."

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Dubious," Geo politely greeted as he brought his hand out for a shake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too," he answered back as he accepted the handshake. "I've been wanting to see you for a while. Your father has told me a lot of great things about you."

"Y-you personally know my dad?" the boy asked in slight surprise.

""Well, I can't say that I did. It would have been nice to do so, though. I've only had the opportunity to work with him for about a month or so up on the satellite. After that, I was transported back down here to attend to some other business. Anyway, I'm sorry to be holding the two of you up like this."

"It's no problem at all. Well, I'll see you later, Tom."

"I'll be down at the station garage if you need me. It was nice to have finally met you, Geo."

"Same here, Mr. Dubious."

After they said their goodbyes, Tom walked into the elevator that Aaron had been holding open the whole time. Before the doors completely closed, he managed another wave at the two of them before he was out of sight.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but does Mr. Dubious work almost all day without any sleep?" Geo asked as he remembered the man's facial details. "He seemed to be very tired."

"That's just how he is," Aaron replied as he gently pushed the boy in the direction of his office. "He's an inventor of sorts. He devotes a lot of his time coming up with ideas that we could use to better our understanding on space that he tends to lose sleep over it. He also knows a fair amount about the Wave World, so he also tries to invent devices that have a dependency on Waves to be activated."

"He sure sounds like a pretty accomplished man," the boy answered in awe. "Did he somehow contribute to the creation of the Star Carrier, by any chance?"

"He sure did. He created the device that allows people to see the Wave World. Strangely enough, though, he asked for his name to be left out on the list of who should receive the credit on the creation of the Star Carrier."

"Why would he want to do that?"

"I'm not sure, but I think he said something to me about it a few days ago. He said something about not caring about fame and glory. He just wants to create things for fun and hope that they can benefit society in some way."

"He sounds like a very humble man."

"But that's what makes him who he is. It doesn't make him afraid to show us his creations, even though they sometimes tend to end in failure. Anyway, that's enough talk about Tom and his hobbies. Step into my office and we'll discuss about more important matters."

When Geo was quickly pushed into the office from behind, Aaron walked in and quickly locked the door behind him. That was to ensure that no one unexpectedly walked in on them as they discussed the private details from earlier.

"Now that we're separated from any possible eavesdroppers," Aaron began as he sat down at his desk and turned on his computer, "let us continue from where we left off downstairs. One of the Wave fragments contained a small amount of human DNA. Without any solid evidence, I can't really show this to the Satella Police. Therefore, I was hoping if you could elaborate the details of the attack for me. Seeing as you can see the Wave World, you're the only one I can turn to as a source for accurate information concerning this."

"I understand," Geo replied with a nod. "I'll be happy to tell you anything that you need to know. However, there's…something that I want to tell you first before I start delving into the details."

"If you feel that it's really important, then by all means, go ahead," the man said as he seemed to be searching for something on the computer. "What's so important that it has you acting like this?"

"Well, it's…a bit hard to actually explain," the boy hesitated as he pulled out the Star Carrier that supposedly housed Omega.

"If you're trying to look for me, I'm right next to you kid," Omega's voice explained in a sudden fashion.

With a small jump, Geo turned his head to the source of the voice. Sure enough, Omega came out of the device and was standing right next to him. On his face was a very serious look.

"When did you come out of there?" the boy asked loudly, which caused Aaron to look up from what he was doing.

"What was that, Geo?" the man asked with a quizzical look on his face. "Who're you talking to?"

"If you want to tell the guy about us, then you don't need to have my approval," the Wave being continued on as if Aaron didn't say anything. "I don't really care at this point anymore. Besides, I really want to know what's going on with the two of us. As long as he doesn't try to do anything funny, I'll tolerate with the fact that you're telling him about me."

"Alright," Geo replied with a heavy sigh as he looked up at Aaron, who was still sporting a curious look. "Aaron, I have something really important that I need to talk to you about."

"You already told me that a few seconds ago," Aaron reminded him with a small hint of annoyance at the edge of his voice. "Just go on ahead and say what's on your mind. Depending on what it is, I'll try to help you in any way I can. But I can't do so if you don't tell me. What is it?"

"Well, it's really hard to actually explain with words alone," the boy explained while trying not to stutter over his words. "Actually, it might be easier to explain if you saw what I'm going to talk about."

"Alright," the man simply replied as he took his eyes off the screen and onto Geo. "What is it that you would like to show me?"

"Um, do you have a Star Carrier on you right now?"

"Yes, it's sitting in one of my desk drawers. Why are you asking about that?"

"Well, you kind of need the Star Carrier's ability to see the Wave World in order to see what I'm talking about."

At this remark, Aaron's face suddenly turned from quizzical to concerned interest. Actually, he looked to be more concerned than interested at this revelation.

"This has something to do with the Wave World, doesn't it?" he asked in a concerned tone.

""Pretty much," Geo replied with a shy smile. "If you could take your Star Carrier out now, Aaron, then I can introduce you to someone from the Wave World."

"Introduce to me?" the man repeated to make sure that he heard correctly. "Are you saying that there's a denizen of the Wave World who can actually converse with you inside this room right now?"

"That seems to be the case. Anyway, if you could just get your device ready, then I'll be able to explain it better. At least, I hope I can."

Without saying another word, Aaron disappeared behind his desk and opened one of his drawers. After rummaging around for a few seconds, he came back into view and placed a green Star Carrier on top of his desk.

"Just give me a few seconds to start up the program Geo," he said to the pretty nervous boy. "I'll tell you once it's on."

"I don't think I need to be told about it," Geo replied. "Once it's up and running, you should be able to see what I can see."

A few seconds later, a confirmation noise was heard coming from the Star Carrier on the desk. The device's ability to see the Wave World was now ready.

"Okay, I'm able to see the Wave World," Aaron announced as he picked up the device and looked through it and started to scan the room. "Where is this thing that you wanted me to see?"

"He's right here next to me," the boy said as he pointed his thumb at where Omega was. "He's the guy in blue with a green glow."

Without giving it another thought, the man looked at where Geo was indicating. Sure enough, with the help of the Star Carrier, he was able to see a Wave being from the Wave World. Naturally, he was quite shocked because he now knew that the boy in front of him seemed to have some kind of interaction with it. That and it wasn't like anything he had ever seen before.

"I-is that what you wanted to talk to me about?" Aaron asked, unable to keep his words from stuttering.

"Yes, he is," Geo replied with a small nod of his head. "Aaron, I would like to introduce you to Omega-Xis. Omega, this person here is Aaron Boreal. He's the one who's going to be able to help us in some way."

"I-it's quite a surprise to see something like you here Omega-Xis," the man replied for a lack of anything better to say.

"It's a pretty unusual experience for me too," Omega said in an attempted greeting. "Just one thing, though. I'm a guy, not some kind of thing that doesn't have a life of it's own."

"I'm sorry, but I can't hear a thing you're saying," he apologized to the Wave being. "Can you tell me what he said, Geo?"

"No problem," Geo replied, already starting to feel a bit more comfortable about the situation. "Omega said that it's also an unusual experience for him. He also added that he's a guy."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind, Omega-Xis. Anyway, I don't think that this is going to work. I don't really want you to keep reiterating what he's saying."

"Then how do you propose we break the audio barrier between us without the help of the kid?" the Wave being asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"I can take a guess at what you said, Omega-Xis," the man said as he studied Omega's face through the Star Carrier. "And yes, I do have a possible way for me to be able to hear what you're saying. But first, we'll have to get to my private lab for this to work. If you two would just follow me, then I'll be able to solve whatever problems you have faster."

"What are you going to do in your lab?" Geo asked. "Do you really have something that could help you hear what Omega's saying?"

"I'm not really sure myself on that," Aaron admitted as he got up from his seat and took a card from the top of the desk. "However, I do know that it's our best shot in having me have a better view of him, at least. My private lab houses technology with the sole purpose of examining Wave beings. I'm pretty sure that if I modify it a bit, then I should be able to hear what he's saying."

"This guy sure sounds like he knows what he's doing," Omega replied. "I never would have thought that there was someone on this planet who actually examined Wave viruses. That's really interesting."

"Actually, he's one of the first people to actually do such a thing," Geo explained as Aaron walked out the door and he followed him. "From what he told me the last time I visited him, he said that he was doing some kind of research concerning Wave viruses. He didn't really go all in depth with the details, but he did tell me that this idea had only been in effect for six months. I'm guessing that he was talking about the examination thing."

"Well, whatever he's talking about, I really hope that you were right in saying that he can help us in figuring out what's going on between us. The more I think about us being able to physically touch each other, the more unnerved I start to feel. The sooner we get this whole thing figured out, the better I'll feel."

"The same goes for me, too."

"What are you two talking about?" Aaron asked as they approached the same elevator they were on before.

"Nothing really important," Geo politely brushed off. "We were just wondering about what we wanted to talk to you about."

"Well, whatever it is, it'll have to wait until we get to my lab," the man warned them. "There are way too many people around here to speak so openly about such a sensitive topic."

When the elevator arrived, all three of them went inside. Instead of pressing a button, however, Aaron used the card he took from his office and inserted it into a card reader just above the button panel. Then, the elevator started to move in a downward direction without making any stops on any floors.

"Is that card supposed to take us to a special floor or something?" Geo asked as he watched the man pocket the card into his jacket.

"You could say that," the man replied with a smile. "It's a floor where only a select few can enter. You just happen to be an exception today, given the circumstances."

And with that, the two of them didn't say another word for the rest of the elevator ride. For a little over a minute, all they heard was the hum of the motor. Then, they felt it come to a stop and the doors opened to a new and somewhat secret floor.

"Geo, Omega-Xis," Aaron addressed the two of them, "welcome to my second office. More appropriately, you could call it my Wave lab, a lab whose sole purpose is to discover more about the Wave World and it's inhabitants."

Both Geo and Omega stared in awe at the sight that was before them. Inside the room were pieces of equipment that neither one of them have ever saw in their entire life. What appeared to be a separate room in the back of the lab was really a part of the room and of the many other contraptions. What purpose all these machines served, they had no idea. Of course, they had a feeling that it had something to do with the experimentation on the Wave viruses that Aaron was working on.

"This. Place. Is. Absolutely. AMAZING!!!" Geo shouted out in immense excitement as he continued to scan the room. "I never knew that you had so many cool machines used to observe the Wave World down here! This is way beyond amazing. it's unbelievable!"

"Compared to what you're able to do without the help of these big advanced pieces of machinery, they're nothing special," the man replied as he smiled at the boy's excitement. "But enough of this excitement. Let me go ahead and try to set up the device that I think will allow me to hear what Omega-Xis is saying."

Geo, however, didn't hear a single word Aaron said. He didn't even notice him walking up towards one of the many devices in the room and fiddling around on it's computer. He was still immersed in the thought that he was actually standing in front of what could possibly be considered the only known way to break the barrier between the Wave World and the real world.

"This is so amazing!" he whispered excitedly. "I never thought that I would be able to see something as cool as this."

"If you keep up with this surprised attitude, you might just give yourself an ulcer from the excitement," Omega joked with a laugh. "I must admit, though, that this is really quite a sight to see. I never would have thought that such an advanced piece of technology would have existed here on Earth. What a surprise."

"They must have been working on these things for a long time," he speculated. "I'm sure that it must have taken at least five years to finish."

"I'm willing to bet that it was seven years," the Wave being observed. "Think about how they had to build these things and make them into a suitable size. That and they had to keep it a secret from the other humans. It couldn't have taken them five years to make all this. It had to have been at least seven years."

"Actually, you're both wrong," Aaron said as he was hunched over one of the device's computer. "It took a good ten years to complete this project. And what a long ten years that was."

"D-did you really hear what I just said?!" Omega asked as he approached the man so quickly, he was almost a complete blur to Geo.

"Pretty much," he replied with a triumphant smile. "I guess my hunch was right. All I had to do was alter the Wave frequencies in this room a bit in order for me to hear you, Omega-Xis."

"That's amazing!" Geo excitedly replied. "I didn't know that you could do that with the Wave frequencies."

"Neither did I for that matter. Anyway, let us get on with our important business that we have been putting off for the past half hour. The both of you said that you had something very important that you wanted to talk to me about. I suggest that you start indulging me on what you want me to know while I still have the time."

"A-alright," the boy said as he quickly calmed down and grew serious. "I should probably start at the beginning though. You know, from the time where Omega and I first met?"

"I think that would be the best place to start. After all, I don't know how long you two know each other. I don't even know how well you know each other, for that matter."

And so, both Omega and Geo were explaining to Aaron everything that has happened to them. From the time they first met to where they fought as a team against another Wave being for the first time to how they were able to touch each other, they spared no time in detailing the events that occurred during the past few days.


	23. Plausible Explanations

**Chapter 23: Plausible Explanations**

After spending an hour explaining everything to Aaron, Geo and Omega were once again physically and mentally tired for the second day in a row. Explaining things that are very hard for others to understand and only you could only possibly know is very hard and tiring.

"This had better be the last time we have to explain this to someone," Omega tiredly growled. "I'm getting sick of telling this stupid story over and over to anybody who has figured out about us."

"I have to agree with you on that one," Geo agreed, who was just as sick of explaining as he was. "I mean, I'm sure that this is an interesting story for others to hear, but this constant repetition is really starting to get ridiculous. I can only repeat it so much before I go crazy!"

"I'm sorry to hear that, you two," Aaron said in an apologetic tone. "I didn't think that you've already explained this to someone before me. Who did you explain this to, by the way?"

"We told his three friends about it," the Wave being replied. "To tell you the truth, I think that you're taking it better than they were. Then again, it's a bit too close to tell."

"No need to start going on with the sarcastic tone, Omega-Xis," the man calmly said as he mulled over what he had just heard. "I must admit this though; if I weren't well educated in the Wave World, I might not be taking this as well as I am right now. This is really quite fascinating."

"You know what? Just call me Omega from now on, okay?"

"I thought that you didn't like it when I called you that," Geo said with a raised eyebrow.

"You can say that I've gotten somewhat used to it by now. Anyway, is there anything that you tell us about these interesting phenomena we the two of us seem to have?"

"I know that I said that I was knowledgeable in the Wave World, but I'm not _that_ good," Aaron answered with a shake of his head. "However, I think I can come up with a plausible explanation with the information that you two have given me. Let me remind you, though, that everything I'm about to say right now is pure speculation. I can't guarantee if it's even remotely close to the real truth."

"As long as it's some kind of explanation, I'll hear it. Besides, I don't think that the kid will have any objections to it. You don't have any, do you?"

"N-no, of course not!" Geo replied. "I wouldn't even have come here in the first place if I had any doubts in his abilities to analyze what was going on with us."

"Just making sure. No need to go all defensive on me."

"Anyway, can you tell us what you think is happening to the two of us?"

"I'll give it my best shot," Aaron said as he gave a small sigh. "Here's my guess as to what's happening to you two:

"When you two first met, you immediately were able to hear and speak to one another. I believe I'm not going out on a whim to say that your ability to see the Wave World, Geo, may have some kind of contribution in you being able to do so."

"Wait a minute," the boy interrupted. "Are you saying that my ability to see the Wave World may have also given me ability to talk with Wave beings like Omega?"

"It does seem very likely. Although I have no proof of it actually being so, it doesn't sound so farfetched that it would have to be easily discredited. Anyway, let's move on to the next topic. This next one is even more puzzling to grasp. It's very hard to find a plausible explanation as to how you are able to actually make physical contact with each other."

"I'm just as confused as you are," Omega admitted with a huff. "Except for when we're in a middle of a Wave Change, there's no way that we're able to go past the boundary and touch each other."

"Yes, you did mention something about fusing your bodies together to create an entirely different being. What was it that you called it again? The Combined Form?"

"It's called the Merged Form," Geo corrected the man.

"That's it. With it, you say that you're able to turn yourself into a Wave being. Yet at the same time, you still retain some of your human qualities. Being able to travel in the same style as the Wave beings do and having the choice whether or not to materialize into the real world is really something. What a very interesting revelation. If I remember correctly, you said that the two of you performed such a task on the day of the attack at Wilshire Hills, correct?"

"I swear, the next person to remind me about that day is going to get the beating of their life!" Omega growled out with his fist waving around in the air. "I'm so sick and tired of hearing other people talk about it."

"I'll take that as a yes, then," Aaron continued on, seemingly unfazed by Omega's sudden outburst. "Did you happen to get hurt during the fight?"

"Not that I can remember," Geo answered before the Wave being got any more agitated at the subject. "I think that we were pretty lucky to have actually beat Taurus unscathed. Omega did have me shoot a lot of energy rounds at him, though."

"So that's probably where that piece of Wave data came from then," the man speculated. "It makes a lot of sense if you put the two together."

"What makes sense?" the Wave being asked impatiently. "Did you figure something else out?"

"I think I might have. Remember when I said that there were two different types of Wave data recovered by the Satella Police's initial sweep of the place? With that unusual piece of Wave data paired up with what you said, I think I can now come up with a reasonable conclusion as to why you're able to break the barrier between human and Wave being."

"So you're going to base your guess on what the police found at the scene and what we have just told you?"

"Unfortunately, yes. However, if my thoughts are right on this, then it should be close to the truth. When the two of you transform into your Merged Form, aren't there supposed to be some kind of special requirements or something to that effect in order for it to be done?"

"There are. It requires both the human and Wave being to have the same Wave Signature, or Wave pattern. It doesn't have to be completely the same, though. It just has to be enough for the job to be done. As to how close of a match it has to be, it varies from human to human. The same goes for us Wave beings."

"I figured as much. If that's the case, then I think that piece of data with the human DNA on it should be the answer to this puzzle."

"How can that piece of data give us a plausible answer?" Geo doubtfully asked. "Didn't you say that you couldn't make heads or tails out of it earlier?"

"I did say that," Aaron admitted. "However, that only applied to the data fragment by itself. When you try to implement it into this puzzle, then it's somewhat understandable."

"Just get to the point already," Omega replied irritably. "I'm getting tired of you beating around the bush. What's so special about the fragment that it can give you an answer?"

"When I conducted a diagnostic on it, I immediately found something interesting. It was, without question, the DNA strand. Curious, I furthered my study on how this came to be. After spending countless hours examining it, I found an answer. Somehow, both the data and DNA strand shared the exact same Wave pattern."

"Wait a minute!" Geo interrupted, his mind rapidly filling with both shock and surprise. "Did you just say that they both had the _exact_ same Wave pattern?!"

"That's exactly what I said," the man replied while trying to calm the boy down. "When I pair up my findings on the fragments with what I just heard, I can then safely conclude that this data blend belongs to both you and Omega. The only way that this phenomenon could have happened was if both the Wave being and host had the exact same Wave pattern. There's no other way to explain it."

"So what you're saying is that we're able to break the barrier between us simply because we just happen to have the same Wave patterns?" the Wave being asked in disbelief.

"That's the conclusion that I've come up with. However, I think the fact that you two participated in a Wave Change also helped somewhat with this process. I believe once your patterns had a chance to really mingle through your Merged Form, that's when you were able to physically touch one another."

"Now that's just the craziest thing I have ever heard!" Omega suddenly exclaimed. "How can you just sit there calmly and say these things like they were normal, everyday things?!"

"Believe me, I'm just as shocked as you are," Aaron admitted with a slight flinch. "As a man of science, though, I've learned to take in every aspect of surprise that's thrown at me in as calm fashion. In other words, I study the thing that surprises me rather than going into a crazed frenzy mode. I give everything it's due consideration."

"But that doesn't change anything! Don't you realize that what you're stating is clearly nothing but utter nonsense?! Has that ever occur to you?"

"I'll admit, that thought did pass by my mind a number of times. However, I've constantly brought every piece of information I've been given a through thought. With it, I'm ready to say that the way this happened was anything but impossible."

"I…I think I'll have to agree with Aaron, Omega," Geo whispered softly.

"How can you agree with him, kid? His so-called educated guesses are nothing except that, guesses! He even admitted it himself that he has no concrete evidence to prove it."

"But he also said that there wasn't anything that could discredit it," the boy defended the scientist. "Surely, even you can see that."

"Even so, there's got to be a better explanation for all this."

"Now's not the time to be in denial, Omega," Aaron said in an attempt to calm the Wave being.

"I'm not in denial!" he denied. "I'm just trying to be practical. This group needs someone with a practical mind to keep them from making wild claims, anyway."

"If you're trying to be practical, then stop complaining about it," the boy said as he firmly grabbed Omega's arm and pulled him closer until they were eye to eye. "If you're being practical, then you know that complaining won't get us anywhere. All we can do now is live with it and figure out the real truth of the matter."

At this, the Wave being was completely silent. Deep down, he knew the kid was right. In fact, the kid might have been right on other occasions, too. The problem was that he was too proud to admit it. This was his one social weakness and he knew it.

_Why must I always be this stubborn? _he bitterly thought as he shoved Geo's hand away. _I guess it's just my way of subconsciously distancing myself away from others. It's not a far stretch to think that ever since that incident a year ago._

Before he could finish up his thought, there was a low rumble as the room and the equipment started to shake. Startled, Geo tripped and fell to the floor. Aaron was lucky enough to grab onto a metal table before the tremor got the best of him.

"What's going on up there?" Aaron asked as he fixed his gaze up to the roof. "This can't be an earthquake. It feels different from that."

"Aaron!!!" a startled voice came from the man's Star Carrier. "Can you hear me? Where are you?!"

"I'm down in my lab, Tom!" he said in a rush as he quickly took his Star Carrier into his hand. "What's going on up there?"

"It's terrible!" Tom exclaimed as the faint sound of shouts were heard in the background. "Th-the computers are on the fritz! There going out of control! The override codes don't seem to have any effect on them!"

"What?! What's causing all this? Can you track it down?"

"We can't! This has got to be the work of some very sophisticated virus. All of our computers are non-responsive! They won't take in any commands!"

"A sophisticated virus?" Geo asked as Omega had a serious look on his face. "Do you think that it's another Wave being?"

"I _know_ it's another Wave being!" Omega answered with a growl. "As to who it is, though, I don't know. I'll have to go up and find out."

"Well, you're not going up there alone!" the boy insisted. "I'm coming with you."

"What are you saying, Geo?!" Aaron, who had hung up his Star Carrier a few moments ago, exclaimed in surprise. "You're not seriously thinking about taking on this strange virus on by yourself, are you?"

"Of course not! I have Omega here to help me with the job. Besides, we think we know what kind of Wave being is causing all this chaos."

"Even so, that's no excuse for you to be putting yourself in harm's way!"

"Don't worry about the kid so much," Omega butted in. "He's stronger than he looks. If he can stand his ground with Taurus, then he should be able to take on anything. Besides, I don't think that I'll be able to do this alone. If I'm going to need help, he's the only one who can give it to me."

Without any room for a retort, Aaron quickly considered the Wave being's words in his head. Meanwhile, Geo was in his second state of shock of the day. This was the first time he had ever heard Omega defend him like that. It was, for lack of a better word, quite astonishing!

"Okay, you win," Aaron sighed with defeat. "You can go ahead and help Omega, Geo. Just remember one thing before you go. Don't overexert yourself. If things start to look bad, I want you to pull back. The same goes for you too, Omega."

"No need to tell me twice. Besides, I don't think I would pull out even if I needed to. Come on, Geo. Let's hurry up and get into our Merged Form. That way, we don't have to waste any time when we get up there."

"Alright, let's go!"

And within a few seconds, the two of them have successfully merged their bodies for the second time. For Aaron, it was quite the sight to see; a human body being slightly reconfigured in front of his very eyes in order to accommodate that of the Wave being's. When the transformation was complete, he saw Geo standing in front of him in his Wave Form.

"So this is what a Wave Change is like!" he whispered in awe. "Simply astounding!"

"We're going to make our way up to the surface and figure out what's going on," Geo explained to Aaron. "You go ahead and try to find someplace safe. I have a feeling that this might get a little out of hand."

"I'll go ahead and make my way to the control room," the man said as he quickly made his way to the elevator. "I'll try and see what I can do from there. You two be careful!"

"Stop worrying about us," Omega replied. "We'll be fine. Just worry about your own safety."

And with that, the two of them disappeared in front of Aaron's very eyes and made their way to the ground level.

"Simply astounding!" he whispered to himself again as he entered the elevator and rode it to the control room. "I never thought that I would have seen something like this in my lifetime. Simply amazing."


	24. Confrontation With Cygnus

**Chapter 24: Confrontation With Cygnus, Master of the Skies**

"What in the world is going on up there?" Geo asked as he and Omega passed through the basement floors as if there were nothing. "Why would they pick AMAKEN to attack, of all places?"

"They probably see this place as a threat to them," Omega grunted as he was concentrating on the possible battle that awaited them. "Seeing as how this place is the frontlines of cutting edge technology, it's no surprise that they want to destroy this place. They don't want the humans to be able to fight back. Basically, if they take out the main source of a plausible defense, then they pretty much cripple the Earth."

"Do you really think that they already figured out what AMAKEN specializes in?" he asked as they neared the ground level. "How could they have figured out?"

"They could have easily just went snooping around for me and accidentally stumbled upon this place," the Wave being explained, "Anyway, how they found it isn't important right now. What we need to worry about is who's attacking this place and how to stop them."

"Then let's get going. Were almost at ground level."

When they made it to ground level, they saw utter chaos erupting inside the main foyer. People were running in all sorts of directions and looking for shelter in a panic. Most of the staff were not of any help because they were also joining the others in running around. For those that managed to keep their heads on, they attempted to calm the frenzied crowd down and direct them to safety. Thankfully, Geo was in his Wave Form. Otherwise, he might have unintentionally added to the chaos that was already happening.

"I really hope no one has gotten hurt," he said as the people were starting to calm down enough to follow the evacuation orders.

"It's hard to say from here kid," Omega stated coolly. "Whatever damage that earlier tremor caused must have come from outside the building. Hurry up and get out there and see what's happened."

Without any hesitation, Geo ran through the glass walls and out into the courtyard. Unfortunately, whatever caused that tremor did not seem to be anywhere. He continued to look around for a few seconds, but he just could not locate the source.

"Where the heck did that come from?" he asked in frustration. "It had to have come from somewhere outside. Where is that Wave being?"

"I'm picking up some readings coming from behind the building," Omega stated as he turned his head in the direction indicated. "Whoever it is, they're there."

"Not there!" the kid exclaimed. "That's where they have their garages where they keep their shuttle engines! They might explode if they get tampered with!"

"Then let's just hope that Taurus isn't the one causing all this mayhem. Let's go and stop this before we have an explosion on our hands."

With great swiftness, he and Geo made it to the garages within a few seconds. Normally, the boy would have noticed such amazing speed, but due to the circumstances, that was the last thing on his mind right now.

Here at the garages, there was the same scene as what was seen inside the building. The only difference was that some wisps of smoke could be seen around the area. Workers were running in different directions in an attempt to get away from here. Some chose to stay behind and try to see what they could do with the computers. Among those who decided to stay was Tom Dubious, who was busy tending to the computers next to something that looked like one of the shuttle engines.

"What are we going to do?" Geo asked as he tried to locate the one responsible for this chaos. "I don't see another Wave being anywhere. Are you sure the readings were coming from back here?"

"I couldn't be more sure," Omega confidently replied. "It definitely came from back here. It should still be here. The question now is where did he go?"

"How many places could a Wave being hide?"

"Just be careful of the people around here. The last thing we want to have are injured people. It's already chaotic enough as… Move it, kid!"

With a sudden tug on the arm he was connected to, Omega pulled Geo so quickly and abruptly that he nearly tripped. He had to run a few steps forward just to regain his footing.

"What was that for Omegaaahhh!" Geo exclaimed as an explosion appeared at the place where he once stood.

"I see that you're as sharp as ever, traitor," a voice replied eloquently. "Nevertheless, it's only a prolonging effort from keeping the inevitable from happening."

From the spot where the explosion occurred, a Wave being appeared from the smoke. This one had the appearance of a swan with a beak and wings. It had white body armor and had a sky blue body.

"Cygnus," Omega growled out. "So you're the one causing all this havoc?"

"Well, someone's got to rectify the image that Taurus has given us," the Wave being known as Cygnus replied gracefully. "After all, he's put a tarnish on our image with the king. It is up to me to polish up our reputation and to take you down."

"You haven't changed a bit, have you?" Omega spat out. "Still talking in that annoyingly 'graceful' voice of yours. Don't you have anything better to do than to be destroying this place?"

"Unfortunately, I don't," the swan sarcastically replied. "I just thought that this would be a perfect playground for me. Of course I had something better to do. That was to lure you out of wherever you were hiding. It worked out better than I imagined. You actually came out of hiding in your nameless Merged Form. You're still as pitiful looking as ever. I still can't believe that you, of all Wave beings, actually managed to take down Taurus."

"Well, he did have a lot of help from me!" Geo suddenly exclaimed in defense for Omega. "And who are you calling pitiful, by the way? You're the ones who're pitiful, trying to wreak havoc amongst the people! They haven't done anything wrong."

"Ah, the brat speaks," Cygnus said with a modicum of amusement. "I was beginning to wonder if you were only good as a host for this pitiful traitor. I must say, though, that you have quite a mouth on you. If you're going to be calling others pitiful, you might as well start off with you. If you think that you're showing bravery trying to stand up against me, then think again. It's nothing but pure foolishness."

"Watch who you're calling a fool, fool," Omega defended Geo. "If you insult Geo here, then you're insulting me. So I suggest that you watch what you say unless you want to get the beating of your life."

"Well, isn't this a surprise? The Wave being who sees names as nothing but an earned title calling a human by his name? That's quite a shock. What's even more shocking is that you seem to be defending him as if he's your friend."

"And what's stopping me from saying that he is my friend?"

At these few remarks, Geo was quite taken aback. He never knew that Omega had considered him as a friend. It was more than a surprise. It was, for a lack of a better word, reassuring.

"Oh, this is rich!" Cygnus laughed. "Omega is friends with a human. Can you sink any lower down the chain of disgrace?"

"I don't think I can. After all, I am considered a traitor now, aren't I? That's pretty much the lowest point on the chain of disgrace if you ask me."

"I'd watch your tongue if I were you. Nothing's more lower than becoming friends with someone, especially with humans. Need I remind you what happened when you were in such a position last time? Your friends died because of your so-called friendship."

"Th-that wasn't my fault!" Omega exclaimed with a stutter. "I-it was the stupid king who saw that having friends was nothing more than an annoyance."

"And with good reason, too. Ever since you became friends with two of our FM Warriors, the three of you haven't been paying full attention to your duties. All of us have started to think that you three were planning to conspire against the king with you being the ringleader."

"Th-that wasn't true at all! You know full well it wasn't!"

"Oh, I assure you, I know nothing. It was only because there was insufficient evidence that you managed to be acquitted of those charges. Of course, that acquittal came at a small price for you. The life of your friends in exchange for your everlasting safety against those conspiracy charges. It didn't seem to have mattered, though, seeing as how you've got yourself caught up in another unlawful act. I'll admit, I've never seen anyone so quick to embrace death in a feeble attempt to protect one's life. It's such a pitiful attempt. Pitiful and sad."

"Shut up!!!" Omega, who was beyond enraged at this point, exploded as he brought his head up and aimed it at the swan. "You have no right to talk down about my friends like that!"

"What does it matter?" the swan, who did not even flinch at the sight of Omega getting ready to fire at him, asked with a shrug. "They're already dead. It's not as though they are going to be able to hear it."

"That's it! You asked for it!!! No one talks down on my friends like that and gets away with it!"

With all his rage put into it, Omega kept his aim straight and fired his energy shot at the swan. When it made contact, a huge cloud of smoke was created and obscured his and Geo's vision. Apparently, the smoke also appeared in the real world because some workers were coughing and seemingly stumbling their way through.

"It wasn't my fault," Geo heard Omega mumbled with rage. "They didn't die because of me. They didn't die because of our friendship. They died because of the king! He killed them!"

"Omega…," Geo quietly called out to the enraged Wave being, not sure of how to approach him.

It was not a stretch to say that he was shocked, to put it mildly. Of the few days that they have been together, he had never saw the Wave being blow up like that. He had also never heard him talk about his past before and how he once had friends. That and he right now considered him as his friend. It was quite the revelation.

"I don't care what you say," Omega continued to mumble. "Geo's my friend and nothing's going to change that. If you guys so much as to try and kill him while I'm around, you're going to be very, very sorry! I'll protect him from the likes of you!"

"Such bold words coming from the mouth of a traitor," Cygnus' voice echoed from somewhere within the cloud of smoke. "The question now is: Can you follow up on it? Anyway, that's enough of this fooling around. It's time to even out the playing field and start playing for real."

After a few more seconds, the smoke finally cleared. This allowed the pair to have a clearer view of their surroundings. However, there was one thing that they could not see and that was Cygnus. It was as though as if he had disappeared from the battle. However, Omega knew better and kept his eyes open for him.

Suddenly, a shout of fright pierced the area. With quick reflexes, both Geo and Omega turned their heads towards the garage with the shuttle engine in it. They could easily see a man running out of the garage with a look of terror on his face.

"I-it's horrible!" the worker was screaming at the top of his lungs. "Something's happened to Tom! He just suddenly turned into something horrible!"

"What?!" Geo exclaimed as he took a better look inside the garage. "He turned into a what?!"

"Darn!" Omega growled as his lips curled in anger. "It seems as though he's managed to find his Wave match here."

Suddenly, a figure was seen walking out of the shadows of the garage. This figure was more or less likely the fusion between Tom and Cygnus. It had on a white helmet that had a beak-shaped visor over the eyes. It's arms had white feathers that ran along the entire length. It's feet resembled that of a bird's with talons. Overall, appearance practically looked like a human version of a bird.

"Now the playing field has been leveled," the Cygnus fusion spoke. "Now you will witness the devastating power that I shall rain upon you. Whatever friendship that you claim to have shall crumble under my strength. You shall now bear witness to the power of the one who will defeat you and bring you back to the king. Prepare to submit against the power of Cygnus Wing!"


	25. Cygnus Wing The Swan Warrior

**Chapter 25: Cygnus Wing The Swan Warrior**

"Prepare to witness the great power of Cygnus Wing!" the sky blue Merged Being shouted as he spread his big white wings apart and brought his arms together in an attempt to create a mini wind storm. "_Furious Breeze!_"

"Whoa!" Geo exclaimed as the blast of air pushed him a few inches backwards. "That's some strong breeze! It's causing the others to go flying!"

"Be careful around this guy Geo," Omega warned the boy while addressing him by his name again. "He's a lot smarter than Taurus Fire. Don't underestimate him or his abilities for a second."

"That's quite a considerate warning to be giving your human companion," Cygnus Wing said with his arms crossed. "To what does he deserve such a kind word of advice from you? What has he ever done for you that would make you so compelled to go so far as to give him a warning of sorts?"

"I'll tell you what he's done for me," he replied as he trained his head at the swan-like FM-ian. "He's given me a place to stay when I had nowhere else to go to. He taught me about Earth and what it has to offer. He has given me something that I thought I would never have had again. He showed me friendship. He made me once again experience what friendship was. For him to give me so much and not try to help him in return would be considered unfriendly."

"Again with the friendship crap," the swan sighed as he impatiently tapped his white gloved fingers on his arm. "It seems as though you didn't learn anything from your first friendship tragedy. I guess it's up to me to teach you again the pain that friendship can cause you."

"I'm afraid that _I'll_ be the one teaching _you_," the Wave being said with a growl. "The subject for today: Complete and utter defeat from the one that you insist on calling a traitor!"

Then let us begin with our little teaching contest. Let us see who can teach the other better. I believe that I'll be the winner, though. You have no chance of landing a single strike on me."

"If he can't hit you, then I will," Geo replied as he brought his free arm under Omega's head to keep it steady. "Don't forget that you're fighting against two people here."

"Humph, I suppose this would be the one time where I should take heed of Taurus' words. He was right on you being able to retain your consciousness during a Wave Change. Oh well, that just means that I'll get to defeat two beings instead of one. Double the fun and double the trouble. _Feather Darts!_"

With great speed, Cygnus Wing reached into his left wind and pulled out a few feathers. Without wasting a single second, he threw them at the two of them as if they were regular darts.

"_Buster Shot!_" Geo exclaimed as Omega shot a few energy shots at the oncoming feathers, therefore canceling each other out.

"Not bad for a human. You even figured out how to use one of the traitor's attacks as if it were your own. I commend you for that. But can you dodge this next and more devastating attack? _Wing Rush!_"

With amazing agility, the swan FM-ian suddenly disappeared from their line of vision. Surprised, Geo attempted to look for the Wave being but had no luck.

"Where did he go?" he asked as he looked everywhere and still could not find the Wave being. "He couldn't have just disappeared."

"Move it!" Omega exclaimed. "He's behind you!"

Acting on reflexes, the boy turned around and saw the body of Cygnus Wing right in front of him. His right arm was raised up in preparation for a strike. At the last moment, he managed to get away from the brunt force of the attack, but still got clipped on the shoulder and was sent flying a good yard or two away. As a result, he landed on his back with a thud.

"Jeez, that's one strong wing!" he said through clenched teeth as he made a move to get up onto his feet. "I didn't think his wing would have been that strong. Who would have thought that he could have moved so fast, for that matter?"

"That's how he rolls," Omega explained. "And if you thought that the hit you got was bad, just think about how much worse it could have been if you hadn't moved away in time."

"A pity that I couldn't make it worse," Cygnus Wing replied with his arms crossed again. "I suppose I underestimated the capabilities of your human host traitor. It's time for me to sharpen up my skills and stop playing around. From this point on, the kiddie gloves are off."

And with the speed of the fastest fowl to ever grace the planet, he took to the air above everybody and everything. It was so fast that Geo and Omega could barely manage to keep up with him.

"It looks as though Cygnus Wing's Wave Change somehow enhanced his fighting abilities a bit," Omega speculated with a grunt of surprise. "I've never seen him move this fast before."

"You should know why my powers are amplified," the swan said as the big wings on his back kept him afloat in the air. "Whenever a Wave being fuses together with someone who has the same Wave Signature, their powers become stronger. Surely you knew that by now. Oh, how silly of me. How could I have forgotten such an important detail? This is only your second time performing a Wave Change in your entire twelve years of life."

"So what if this is only my second time performing a Wave Change? What business is it for you to know? I fared pretty well on my first try. Last time I checked, I took down Taurus Fire and, at the same time, knew what I was doing. So I forgot that one little detail. Big whoop. I'm still going to mop the floor with you like I did with Taurus Fire."

"Are you sure that was all your doing? What's to stop me from saying that your human 'friend' did all the work for you? For all you know, he could have done all the work and left you thinking that you performed some modicum of work with your pitifully weak skills."

"That's not true at all Cygnus Wing!" Geo, who had been silent for most of the conversation, exclaimed. "In fact, it's quite the opposite of that. Omega did most of the work while I just stood around on the sidelines waiting to be called on for help. I barely contributed anything to that battle. For you to say that Omega knows nothing about fighting and insinuating that I have even a mediocre amount of battle expertise is nothing short of insulting."

"Geo's right," Omega agreed with the boy as he seemed unfazed at his unexpected defense. "I did do most of the work. However, that doesn't mean that he didn't give me a lot of help. If he didn't allow me to use his body for the Wave Change, I wouldn't have stood a chance. If it weren't for his willing cooperation, then I wouldn't have been able to utilize the full potential of my weapons and battle expertise."

"Weapons and battle expertise? Allowing the use of one's body for the sake of a wave Change? Don't make me laugh. Humans were born for the sole purpose of enabling us the use of their bodies without consent. They weren't meant to be freely given. As to battle and weapons expertise, what in the world are you talking about? You couldn't aim your gun properly to save your life during your training exercises back on the FM Planet. You expect me to believe that you have even the smallest amount of battle prowess in the battlefield?"

"If you put it that way, then yes," Omega simply replied. "I don't think that it's that hard to imagine that I got somewhat better during our little game of tag out in space. After all, we were at it for a good few months. It also helps when you only have your imagination to occupy yourself and a good photographic memory to go over and create techniques when you're bored."

"You _created_ your own battle moves? Now this is something that I have to see in order to believe. I doubt that you're even telling the truth, though. Knowing you, you're jus trying to bluff your way out of this one."

"If that's what you think, then consider us even on your attempt earlier to psyche me out. It didn't work when you tried to make me doubt my ability to fight. I'll show you what I can do. Once you see what I can do, you'll regret ever trying to underestimate me!"

"It's one thing to say it, but it's another to do it. Can you deliver on your words? I highly doubt you'd be able to. I doubt that just as much as I do with you being happy with this bond that you have created with this human. You're nothing but a sorry, no-good emotional excuse for a FM Warrior."

"Hey, watch what you're saying!" Geo backed his Wave friend up. "Whoever messes with my buddy Omega here ends up messing with me. Don't think for a single minute that you're going to beat the two of us. We're definitely going to shoot you out of the sky and beat you into the ground!"

At this, Omega was completely astonished at the fact that the boy would come to his defense like that. In his heart was an unexplainable, yet familiar, feeling. It was very hard to explain, but he guessed that this was the joy of knowing that someone cared so much about him that they would stand up for him. The last time he had ever felt this feeling was before the incident with his other friends occurred.

"Tough words coming from a no-good excuse for a weakling of a human," Cygnus Wing insultingly replied as he reached into his left wind again. "I suppose the time for our little chat has come to an end. And without further delay either. I didn't enjoy a single minute of it. _Feather Darts!_"

For the second time, the swan reached into his left wing again and immediately threw another small barrage of sharp feathers at the pair. This time, Geo dodged the projectiles instead of canceling them out with Omega's weapon and they harmlessly struck the concrete floor.

"Running away, are we?" he chuckled teasingly. "Such a sad sight. You're going to have to do more than that if you intend on beating me. _Wing Rush!_"

With the speed of the fastest flying bird known to man, Cygnus Wing sped towards them at an extraordinary rate. This time, he had his wings spread straight out and was prepared to slice through them. It was so fast, he was sure that he would have struck his target.

However, that was not the case this time. Once again at the last second, Geo managed to dodge the attack. He moved faster from before so he would not repeat the same mistake. It paid off and he escaped without a scratch.

"So you mastered the art of dodging," Cygnus Wing said in a slightly irritated tone. "I never expected you to be such a coward. You always seemed like the type to always go head first into a fight Omega."

"I think you're confusing me with Taurus," Omega replied as he allowed energy to build up within him. "I don't go looking for fights. I only fight when I have to. This falls into that category."

"If you're going to fight, then at least make it a bit more lively," the swan mocked yawn as to show that he was not paying attention. "This is enough to bore me to sleep. Oh well, easier fight for me. _Swan Army!_"

"Swan Army?" Geo repeated with confusion. "How is he going to make an army of swans come out of nowhere?" "Like this," he replied with a simple twist of his wrist.

At this single movement, a group of ten small pure black and pure white swans appeared behind Cygnus Wing. They resembled nothing like him yet their eyes told that they were menacing enough to be taken seriously.

"Be careful," Omega warned as he continued to collect energy. "Those things act like a grenade. They're small, but deadly."

"They're grenades?" Geo asked to make sure he heard correctly. "I thought he was just all feathers and speed. I didn't think that he was a blasting type of guy."

"Don't worry, I got it all under control," the Wave being replied in a confident tone.

"Fly, my darling little children!" the swan commanded the ten smaller birds behind him. "Give the traitor and his human companion a blast that they won't soon forget."

At this command, the small army immediately flew towards Geo and Omega at a somewhat slower pace than Cygnus Wing's. Their eyes were glowing bright red as the approached closer and closer.

"Watch me take care of these little birdbrains in one go, Geo," Omega boasted as he finally collected enough energy for an attack he had been preparing. "_Shotgun Scatter Shot!_"

When the collective energy was released, it took on the form of a light purple round ball. It traveled to the center of the group of baby swans at the same speed a regular bullet would have went. Once it reached the center of the group, the ball of energy exploded and energy fragments were blown in all sorts of directions. Since it was in the direct center of its intended target, all of the baby swans were struck and blew up before they reached their destination.

"Oh yeah!" the Wave being yelled out in triumph as Geo took his arm off from under his head. "How's that for being a Wave being who's only done a Wave Change twice in his entire life? Do you still think that I'm nothing but a worthless traitor who can't even hold out on his own?"

"It appears that I have seriously underestimated you, traitor," Cygnus Wing replied with a huff. "I never would have expected that you would be capable of creating your own style of fighting. It's impressive that you were able to destroy all ten of my swan grenades. However, I wouldn't be celebrating just yet. I have a few more tricks up my sleeve. _Feather Darts!_"

Once again, the swan threw some more sharp feathers at the pair. However, instead of flying towards them like they had anticipated, the feathers took a different direction and flew harmlessly past them.

"What in the world is he trying to do?" Omega asked as Geo turned his body around to follow the projectiles.

"I don't know," Geo replied nervously, "but whatever it is, it's bound to be nothing but trouble."

"You do not know how right you are on that accord," the swan said with an evil smile gracing his lips. "In fact, I believe the truth behind my motive will just suddenly _blow up_ right in your faces!"

At this remark, Geo finally understood the intended path of the feathers. With great speed and urgency, he brought Omega's head up to eye level and quickly aimed at the projectiles. That's when he came up with an on-the-spot idea. Without giving it a second thought, he felt a small amount of energy being focused at Omega.

"_Homing Shot!_" he blurted out as a few small energy bullets came out of Omega's mouth and made their way towards the feathers at a speed faster than its target.

Within a matter of seconds, the bullets made contact with the feathers and knocked them out of the sky, thus putting their flight path to an end.

"Don't you dare think about trying to destroy that shuttle engine behind me!" the boy exclaimed as he turned around and kept Omega's head trained at Cygnus Wing. "A blast from that can easily take out AMAKEN and everything around it! There's no way am I going to let you do that!"

"Figured out my little plan, did you?" the swan hissed out as he descended back down onto the concrete floor. "You found out that I was really aiming for that engine. That's pretty good. You also discovered how to utilize your Wave being's power and make it your own. Impressive."

"It wasn't that hard to figure out bird brain. I just took Omega's words on creating battle moves into consideration and decided to give it a try."

"And I truly commend you for that achievement, human. However, the intention that you have so nicely crafted out for me is beyond correct. My true goal is to destroy you human so I can easily beat the traitor. I see now that if I allow the two of you to fight together any longer, then I'll never have a chance to win. The next best thing for me to do is to force your body to un-fuse with the traitor and take him out when he's most vulnerable. As for you, you'd be burned to a crisp before anybody can even come close to save you. The whole part about having your precious AMAKEN go down with you is just a pleasant side effect of my plan."

"You're planning to do what?!" Omega shouted in surprise in response to what he just heard. "You're planning to kill Geo and a whole bunch of other people just to get a chance at me?!"

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Cygnus Wing simply replied without any kind of remorse in his voice. "Seeing as how you're so stubborn and refuse to go down without a fight of sorts, this is the easiest way for me to get to you. Besides, what's a few dozen lost lives compared to those of a hundred million on this pathetic planet? It's not as though anyone's going to be missing them anytime soon."

"How can you act so uncaring about it as if it were nothing serious?!" Geo asked in utter shock. "You're talking about killing so many innocents here! These are valuable human lives we're talking about!"

"Valuable human lives?" the swan repeated. "What's so valuable about a human life? For all it's worth, all it causes is nothing but unnecessary trouble. I could hardly care less about it. All I care about here is the mission. All I care about is capturing the traitor alive and bringing him before the king of the FM Planet to answer for his crimes. That's all that matters to me."

"I can't believe that you actually said that!" Omega said as he shook his head in complete disappointment. "How dare you consider killing off innocent people just to satisfy your own goals."

"Spare me the details. If you're trying to bring me on a guilt trip, it's not going to work. If this is the way it has to be in order for me to capture you, then so be it. _Feather Dart Rush!_"

In this new and unfamiliar move, Cygnus Wing moved as fast as he did with a regular Wing Rush. However, he also had a set of feather darts in his hand. With it, he dashed towards the shuttle engine behind Geo and Omega. The movement was so fast, the boy and his ally had no time to react against this new attack.

"It's time to end this once and for all," the swan said as he prepared to throw the darts in his hand. "Prepare to witness the greatest explosion of your life. In fact, let's make it into your only greatest explosion of your life!"

Making sure to leave no window of opportunity for a counter attack, he threw his darts directly at the engine with amazing agility.

"Nnnnooooo!!!!!" Geo shouted helplessly as he watched the darts inch closer and closer to the engines themselves.

It was as though time itself had somehow slowed down around him. As every second slowly passed by, he saw the darts creep another inch towards their target. Nothing stood in their way as a form of obstruction. Many emotions started to flood into him during this altered time phase. Anger, fright, shock, hopelessness; they all came to him as if a dam had busted inside of him.

Another second passed by. In a few more seconds, the darts would damage the engines, causing it to explode and destroy AMAKEN and everything near it. There was nothing to do except to wait for the inevitable.

However, that time never came. Just before the darts struck the engine, they suddenly came to a stop. At this point, time seemed to flow normally again. Even so, the darts still floated in place, seemingly frozen by some unseen force. It looked as though they would not be moving anytime soon.

"Wh-what's going on here?!" Cygnus Wing exclaimed in shock as he saw his attack suddenly stop. "Why are they not moving in for the finishing blow? What's wrong with those darts?"

Suddenly, the said darts fell to the floor and disappeared without a trace, leaving a dumbstruck Cygnus Wing and a relieved Geo and Omega staring at the engine.

"Looks like I brought it up just in time," a familiar voice echoed through the intercoms around the garage.

"Is that you Aaron?!" Geo asked in surprise as he saw a slight flicker surround the shuttle engine. "Where are you?"

"Main control room," Aaron hastily answered. "I just put a force field around the engine. Use this time to take out that Wave being. The force field isn't built to sustain that much damage. Hurry up and finish this before it reaches it's limit."

"Thanks Aaron!" Geo thanked the an as he regained his composure and got himself ready to fight Cygnus Wing again.

"It looks like your plan failed," Omega replied in a teasing tone. "Now you have no choice but to fight us in this form."

"Humph, it's nothing but a minor setback," Cygnus Wing huffed as he attempted to brush it off. "I can still beat you in the conventional way. It'll just take a little more time than I would like. Besides, I can't possibly see you beating me in your nameless Merged Form."

"That doesn't mean that we're not going to give it a shot!" Omega answered back as he prepared for one of his attacks. "_Rapid Mega Buster!_"

In response to the rapid energy shots, the swan immediately conducted a few quick agile movements and successfully dodged the attack. He then took to the air where he could easily dodge more attacks.

"_Multiple Feather Darts!_" he shouted as he took a bunch of darts into both his hands and threw them towards Omega and Geo.

With the combination of skill and observation, Omega shot down some of the darts down while Geo dodged other oncoming ones. With each others help, they managed to survive the onslaught of darts unscathed.

"Enough of this!" Cygnus Wing shouted in clear agitation. "I shall end this little game here and now! _Swan Army!_"

Just as before, ten baby swans of both pure black and white color appeared behind him. With the same graceful flick of his wrist, they charged at the pair with the same red eyes staring at them.

"Same thing as before?" Geo asked as he propped Omega's head up for better leverage.

"With a little experimental twist," Omega answered as he quickly collected more energy for the one attack that could effectively take care of this explosive army of swans. "_Shotgun Scatter Shot!_"

Once again, a light purple ball of energy was shot out and made its way to the center of the swan group. Once at the center, it exploded into tiny little energy fragments and destroyed the grenades.

"Performing the same little parlor trick again won't do you any good," the swan replied through clenched teeth. "It'll only delay your inevitable defeat."

"Who said I was performing the same trick?" Omega cockily spat back as he prepared himself for another move. "How about you watch and then tell me if it's the same move or not."

With that said, the energy fragments that came from the previously light purple ball began to come back towards Omega. Once they were all back, it seemed to be attempting to reshape itself. However, it didn't seem to be doing a very good job. Instead of reforming itself into the perfect round ball it once was, it was now all jagged and pointy as if it were a medieval ball and chain sans the chain.

"Prepare to enjoy this new move I made up, Cygnus Wing," the Wave being smiled as the ball of energy finished reforming itself. "I hope you like it just as much as I do. _Homing Fragment Bomb!_"

As if he was chucking a big pointy rock, he threw the jagged energy ball at Cygnus Wing and waited for it to hit its mark. However, it fell just a bit short from his position up in the air and fell to the ground. When it struck the concrete, it exploded in a puff of black smoke.

"That was your pitiful excuse of a new attack?" the swan asked as he began to laugh. "And you actually had me worried there for a second. That pitiful ball couldn't even manage to hit me. Just what were you hoping to accomplish with that?"

"More than you could ever imagine," Omega simply replied as he kept his eyes on the cloud of smoke. "Just wait and see."

A couple of seconds later, something shot out of the smoke and headed right towards Cygnus Wing, who was still somewhat paralyzed with laughter. Before he could get a chance to react, he was struck on one of his wings, causing him to fall to the ground. Then a whole bunch of the small energy fragments from the bomb came and continually struck the swan. None of the fragments missed their mark, who was forced to lay flat on the floor as they continued to bombard him.

"Y-you…!!!" he managed to utter as the barrage came to an end. "How did you…"

"A good imagination when I'm bored and a photographic memory," Omega answered the swan's unasked question. "I told you that I can create my own battle moves. That's what you get for sorely underestimating me and Geo here."

"How could I…have been beaten by…a traitor and his…no good weakling of a human? And in his…nameless Merged Form…no less!"

"Because you only believed what you wanted to believe," Geo explained with a tired sigh. "You already figured that Omega had no battle experience and I was nothing more than a weak human who couldn't hold his own in a battle. You refused to let those facts change, no matter how many times you've been proven wrong."

"I've…never been wrong," the injured swan struggled to say. "You _are_…nothing but a…weak human! And that…traitor…is nothing more…but a pup…who thinks he…knows it all!"

"You just don't get it, do you?" the Wave being sighed in defeat. "So what I'm just a pup in your eyes? That doesn't change the fact that I have gotten better over the months that you have been chasing me. It doesn't matter if my Merged Form doesn't even have a name. You guys never took the time to even offer me a choice of, so it ends up being your fault."

"As if it matters now. You don't…deserve to have…a name attached to… your Merged For…"

"Megaman," Geo suddenly interrupted them.

"I'm…sorry?" Cygnus Wing managed to respond quizzically. "What did you say…just now?"

"I said 'Megaman'," the boy repeated. "That's the name I cam up with for his Merged Form: Megaman. What do you think about it, Omega?"

"Y-you actually came up with a name for me?" Omega asked with surprise clear in his voice.

"Yeah, I did. So how do you like it?"

"I-it's got a nice ring to it. That and it seems to fit well with what I have been doing lately; creating new attacks and adapting to different occasions and all."

"Ha, ha, ha!" the swan laughed painfully. "So you came up…with a name. A very…poor excuse for a name. No matter what you call yourself…, you'll always be a traitor…in our eyes. Until…we meet again, traitor!"

And with that, he released his hold on Tom's body and retreated back to wherever he and his other comrades where hiding out on Earth.

"W-we did it," Geo said with a shaky sigh as he felt his connection with Omega go away. "We took care of Cygnus, protected AMAKEN from further damage, and saved Tom."

"We were pretty good," Omega agreed as they fully separated from each other and had their own bodies again. "Especially you Geo. You kept up with him pretty well."

"Oh, I just provided the movement," the boy replied as he tried to brush off his end of the work. "You're the one who did most of the work."

"Don't shortchange yourself. You're better than you think you are and don't you forget it. You're seriously the best partner a Wave being could ever ask for."

"Thanks…, Megaman."

"Megaman… I really like the sound of it. I think it's official then. From now on, our Merged Form is going to be called 'Megaman'."

"Geo, are you okay?" Aaron's voice echoed from inside the garage.

"I'm fine," he answered back. "I'm not sure if you know this, but Tom's passed out over here."

"He is?!" the man exclaimed. "I'll go ahead and send the medical team down there right away. In the meantime, go ahead and wait for me in my office. I'll be right there to talk to you about what happened once I'm done here in the control room."

"Alright. Come on, Omega. Let's get going before somebody like the Satella Police comes and catches us here."

"Oh, please tell me that we don't have to deal with them again," Omega whined as he followed Geo back into Aaron's office.


	26. Friendship and Protection

**Chapter 26: Friendship and Protection**

"The damage to the computers must have been worse than we first thought," Geo sighed as he stared out of the window in Aaron's office. "Aaron's been in the control room for almost an hour now. I wonder what's going on down there?"

"Maybe he's just doing some maintenance checks to all the computers or something," Omega, who was leaning against the file cabinet, guessed with a shrug. "Cygnus could've done some damage to the other computers before we had a chance to intervene. I wonder, though. Why did he decide to attack AMAKEN, of all places? Did he sense that you humans have an abundance of advanced technology housed here or was it just a target in his plans to lure me out?"

"Well, the important thing is that it's over now," the boy replied. "I'm just glad that we were down at the lab when he decided to attack. Otherwise, he could have done even more damage to this place."

"Talk about being at the right place at the right time, right Geo?" the Wave being asked with a half-smile.

"You got that right Omega."

All of a sudden, Geo remembered something unusual from before their battle With Cygnus Wing started. At the time, he didn't really have time to think about it because of the severity of the situation he was in. Now that everything was somewhat calmer, he remembered hearing Omega calling him by his name for the first time instead of the usual "kid".

"Hey Omega," he called out to the Wave being, "do you mind if I ask you about something I heard before the battle started?"

"Sure, go ahead," Omega replied with a nod of his head. "I'm all ears. What's on your mind?"

"Well, it's about the time before Cygnus decided to take control over Tom's body," the boy explained. "While he was talking to us, you said something that really caught me by surprise. You actually called me by my first name for the first time since I known you. What's more is that you also hinted that you saw me as a friend."

"Did I really say something like that?" the Wave being asked with a raised eyebrow. "Oh yeah, I think I did."

"Did you really mean what you said to him at the time about me possibly being your friend?"

"Well, I don't think the possibility is there anymore. To tell you the truth, the possibility for it doesn't exist anymore."

"O-oh, I see," Geo replied disappointingly.

"But you know what Geo?" Omega continued on with a genuine non-cocky smile. "The reason why the possibility isn't there anymore is because I already came up with an answer. If you want the truth, then I'll give it to you. If I had another chance to choose who I wanted to have as a merge partner, it would be you. I'm glad that you're my Wave Merge partner. You are the one person here on Earth that I can be proud of to call my friend and fellow comrade-in-arms."

At this remark, Geo was left absolutely speechless. After all his past failed attempts to befriend the Wave being, Omega had finally accepted the bond of friendship. Of course, there was always a small chance that he was just playing a very cruel joke. The only way to find out was to ask.

"D-do you really mean it?" he asked to make sure it was real. "You're not just pulling some kind of cruel sarcastic joke, are you?"

"Trust me Geo," Omega assured the boy with a smile. "I would never joke around with you on something as sensitive as this. Besides, you should know me by now. If I was really trying to be sarcastic, then I wouldn't be smiling like this."

"I-I suppose you're right." Geo replied as he started to blush a bit at his stupid question. "It's just that you were so adamant before about not becoming friends with me that it came as a shock. When did you change your mind about it?"

"Actually, I never did change my mind on anything. I knew that you were trying to befriend me this whole time ever since the first time we talked, but all I did was push you away. I'm sure you already heard about what happened from Cygnus when I had friends on the FM Planet."

"You're talking about when they made that deal to keep you safe," the boy stated quietly as to not make the Wave being too upset. "I heard him. What happened to you after that?"

"Let's just say that ever since that day, I…changed into an antisocial guy," he continued. "I promised to myself on that day that I would never have another friend for as long as I live. I never wanted to feel that pain of losing someone I cared about again. It almost literally broke me that time, but I managed to pull it together."

"I can't even begin to imagine the pain that you must have felt then. I'm sorry to hear about it."

"Forget it. It's all in the past now. Anyway, what I'm trying to say with all this is that I knew you were trying to be friends with me. Even though what happened to me took place almost a year ago, I couldn't forget about it, so I did the next best thing. I played the role of an inconsiderate Wave being who didn't give a damn about having friends or interacting with others."

"You were acting this whole time? Boy, you really had me fooled with that act of yours."

"I didn't think that I was that good in tricking you. That's exactly what I tried to do to myself; trick my mind into thinking that friends were nothing but a nuisance. I'm glad that it didn't work. Thanks to your persistence, I slowly came to terms with myself. I was planning on telling you about me always wanting to be your friend soon, but Cygnus kind of forced it ahead with his rambling."

"So what you're saying is that you wanted to become my friend on almost the very same day we first met? You never saw me as an annoying guy who wouldn't leave you alone with the annoying questions and, as you put it then, 'friendship crap?'"

"That's…pretty much it when you put it that bluntly. For what it's worth now, I'm sorry for treating you like you were nothing. Trust me, I didn't like it, but I was desperate to not make any friends and then feeling that familiar pain again. I'm really sorry, Geo."

"Don't worry about it, Omega. I'm sure whatever happened to you about a year ago really left its mark on you. You don't have to be sorry about anything. You just wanted to make sure that you didn't get hurt like you did then again. I don't claim to understand what you went through, but I know that you merely wanted to protect yourself in the one way you knew how to."

For a few moments, the two of them were completely quiet. Geo was busy contemplating what he just heard while Omega was thinking hard on the subject they were on. What was he to do now? Should he try to become friends with the human that he had so come to like or just leave before anything else happened that would put both of them in further danger? Whatever the choice, he would have to choose now while the FM-ians chasing him were still collecting themselves after Cygnus' defeat.

"Wh-what do you think we should do now Geo?" Omega asked. "Do we go our separate ways or just stick together and ride this thing out to the bitter end?"

"Do you really have to ask a question like that?" Geo asked with a smile. "Of course we're going to ride this out together. What kind of friend would I be if I left you to fend for yourself against those FM-ians that are following you? Not a very good one, that's for sure."

"Y-you still want to be my friend after all the crap I gave you about it?" the Wave being asked, his ears not believing what he just heard.

"Of course I do. I've been trying to be your friend for the past few days after all. Even if you didn't tell me why you gave me such a hard time about the subject, I still would be your friend. Besides, you might need a little help against the other FM-ians that still haven't made themselves known yet."

"You got that right," Omega agreed with a light chuckle. "I really do need a bit of help dealing with those guys. If I barely made it here in one piece with them chasing me, then I don't think I'll last long on my own here without your help."

"Don't worry about that, Omega. I tell you everything that you need to know about Earth, especially about Echo Ridge. By the time I'm done, it'll almost seem as if you've been here your entire life."

"I'd like that very much. Oh, and Geo? Thanks…for helping me get my feelings out into the open."

"That's what friends are for. They stick together and help each other out when they can and need to."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," another voice suddenly intervened.

Surprised, both Geo and Omega turned their heads in the direction of the doorway where they heard the person. Standing in front of it with the door open was Aaron.

"A-Aaron!" Geo said, quite taken aback at his sudden appearance. "How long have you been waiting there?"

"Oh, I just opened the door when I heard you say those words," he explained as he took off his hat and brushed his hair back a bit. "I guess it's safe to say that you were talking to Omega about it, right?"

"Do you even have to ask?" the boy asked with a sigh.

"I guess not," Aaron replied with a smile. "You know, you sounded so much like your father just a few seconds ago. Kevin would always talk about how friendship is the backbone for Earth's society. He'd used to say that without it, our world would crumble under the immense chaos and discord that would ensue. It's nice to know that you think so highly about friendship just like your father."

"Well, I did learn about all that from him. It's something that he would always say to me whenever we had our time together. I guess his words really stuck with me for all these years."

"Which is a good thing, I might add. Anyway, let me get back to the results of what happened an hour ago. Let me first start by saying thanks to the help that you two gave earlier. If it weren't for you, I fear that the damage would have been much worse. The worst this place sustained were a few crucial computers being forced to shut down, Nothing that can't be repaired. However, this incident has caught the attention of the Satella Police. They're here right now investigating the garages as we speak."

"Great," Omega sighed heavily. "Those guys are here searching for the cause of the attack, aren't they?"

"I guess they are," Geo answered the Wave being's question. "I doubt that they would be here for any other reason but to examine the scene."

"And that's where I fear a problem might arise. If they are here trying to track down the cause of this incident, then they no doubt should find traces of you two's Merged Form lying around somewhere for them to find. I suggest that you try to leave AMAKEN as quickly and casually as possible before the Satella Police come up here to try and question you. I have a sneaking suspicion that the one who questioned you before is here again."

"Oh boy, I definitely don't want to be caught here and questioned again by Detective Copper. Last time he did that, it was a complete headache. It was like he wasn't going to let me go no matter what I said."

"And that's exactly why I'm advising you to leave now. If he finds out that you are here, he might bring you in for another questioning; especially since you're here at the scene of another Wave attack. It's no doubt that he might get a little suspicious about it and see it as a pattern more as a coincidence."

"I had a hard time convincing him last time that I knew nothing about the last attack," Geo sighed in annoyance at the memory. "He'd probably push me twice as hard this time if he sees me here."

"Not to mention that I would have to hide out at your house again," Omega added with disgust. "I don't want to have a repeat of that. Just one boring day of having to stay in the house while you're talking about who knows what to the police is enough for me."

"Where's Detective Copper right now Aaron?" the boy asked so he would know what place to avoid.

"The last time I saw him, he was still searching the garage area where the shuttle engine is with his men," the man recalled. "That was about ten minutes ago. He had just gotten there, though, so I don't think that he would be anywhere else."

"Alright, then I think I better leave before he decides to…"

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Mr. Boreal," a voice suddenly cut them off. "I forgot to ask you a few crucial questions regarding today's incident."

Startled again for the second time within a few minutes, Geo and Omega, along with Aaron this time, turned to look at the doorway to see who was coming into the room. Unfortunately, it was the one person that Geo was going to try and avoid for the rest of the day, Detective Copper.

"Oh, detective," Aaron addressed the man in a calm and steady voice. "I didn't hear you come in. I must have forgotten to close the door when I came in. What brings you up here into my office? Shouldn't you be down at the garages investigating what the cause of our current incident was?"

"That's what I'm doing right now," the detective explained in an official tone. "I came up here so I can ask you some more questions regarding the time of the incident."

After Detective Copper stated his reason for coming up here unannounced, he noticed that Geo was also present in the room. At this unexpected sight, he raised his eyebrows in suspicion.

"Geo was it?" he asked for confirmation. "What are you doing here today, of all times?"

"Hello, Detective Copper," Geo greeted the man almost shyly. "It's good to see you again. I'm just here to see how Aaron was doing."

"I'm sorry to say this, but I find that a little hard to believe," the detective replied with a frown. "How did you just happen to come here to visit Mr. Boreal and at the same time become involved in another Wave virus related attack? It seems too strange to be considered a coincidence."

"Great," Omega sarcastically said with a sigh as he watched the boy sweat a bit. "How are you going to talk your way out of this one? It doesn't sound like he's going to let this one go that easily."

"If I may, detective," Aaron politely intervened. "I believe that I can somewhat explain to your satisfaction as to why little Geo is here. You see, a few minutes before the incident occurred, I called him from his house to come down here. I had something that I wanted to talk to him about regarding his father who works up in one of our satellites. It was about a minute after I had ended our conversation when the virus incident occurred. Being the head of technology here, I immediately rushed out to see what the trouble was. Naturally, I had no time to tell Geo not to come since I've been busy from then to now."

"That still doesn't really tell me how long he's been here at AMAKEN," Detective Copper argued. "For all I know, he could have arrived here just as the trouble was getting started."

"I can attest to the fact that he had never arrived here as the chaos was going on. In fact, he came just as the whole thing was coming to a close. From his house to here, it's about a thirty minute bus ride. This incident took about a good forty minutes or so."

"That still leaves a ten minute gap for him to have seen something. Can you find a way to account for this time gap?"

"I think I can. I'm almost certain that when the incident was about twenty minutes in, the bus line that runs through here suspended all service. Geo happened to be on one of those buses. The bus dropped everybody off at the stop before this, which is about a thirty minute walk from here; it'll probably be fifteen if you ran it. That would then only leave a five minute gap where I can safely say that he has been with me for the remainder of the incident. Once everything was cleared up, I had him wait in my office for the rest of the time."

"Are you sure that you're telling the truth? I could easily just check the bus records for the time he boarded the bus and the security cameras that are installed here for his time of arrival."

"Unfortunately, that isn't possible. You see, when the incident occurred, it sent some sort of disturbance throughout the Wave lines. As a result, every computer within a forty-five minute radius was effected in some way. For computers that perform more than one task, they were somewhat prepared for such a thing. However, others like the bus ID terminal and our security cameras were instantly knocked out, thus effectively erasing at least an hour's worth of data. In other words, what I'm saying is that I have no evidence to support my explanation."

"Then I can't fully believe you when you say that he arrived only when this whole problem was over."

"If that's the case, then the opposite also holds true. Without anything to counteract my explanation, you can't just go ahead and discredit my words. Besides, I have worked with you and the Satella Police for a good four to five years now. What reason would I have to lie to you about something as mediocre as this?"

For a few moments, the detective was silent as he tried to come up with another effective counterargument against Aaron. After giving it much thought, he gave a defeated sigh.

"Not much, I suppose," he finally replied. "Fine, I'll refrain from questioning him about this since there's probably no way he was here to see it. Just be careful from now on Geo. If I see you at another scene of a virus incident, I won't hesitate to take you down to the police station and question you. Is that clear?"

"Y-yes, Detective Copper," Geo, who had been quietly listening to the two men going back and forth, stammered. "I-I understand."

"Please detective, he's only a child," Aaron said in a voice that was borderline stern. "I don't think that he would have a say as to where the next incident was going to occur and if he wanted to be in it or not."

"I understand Mr. Boreal," the detective replied, taking hint of the almost stern tone in the other man. "I'm only telling the boy to be careful of where he chooses to go. I don't want him to be involved in anymore of these problems."

"And I'm sure Geo here appreciates your kind warning. However, it's starting to get late now and I'm sure his mother is starting to get a bit worried. Why don't you go ahead and run on home now? If your mother asks, tell her that I'm alright."

"I will Aaron," Geo answered as he mentally thanked him for covering up his tracks. "I'll come and see you once the whole thing blows over."

"It'll be a while, but I'll look forward to it. Please close the door when you leave."

"Alright, I'll see you later. Bye, Detective Copper. It was…nice to see you again."

"Liar!" Omega, who had been quiet ever since the detective had entered the room, said accusingly.

Deciding to not make any kind of facial expression for fear of the detective seeing and becoming more suspicious, Geo just calmly walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

"Moving onto a different and probably more important subject, have you finished your research on the data fragments that my men sent to you a couple of days ago?" the boy heard the detective ask Aaron. "Have you been successful in dissecting any useful information from them?"

"I have completed my examination on one of the samples, detective," Aaron confirmed.

Intrigued with where the conversation was leading up to, Geo stayed close to the door so he could hear more of what they were talking about.

"However," he heard Aaron continue, "while I was still examining the second date fragment, the virus incident occurred. It caused a little tremor to travel down to my lab disrupted the machinery. As a result, the fragment was unfortunately destroyed before I could get a chance to discover and record my findings."

"Are you quite certain that it's gone?" he heard Detective Copper's voice ask in disappointment. "If so, then that's a bad loss. We could have needed both of the data in order to figure out what's really going on with these virus attacks. They're too strange to be considered just the work of a group of small fries."

"Well, I'm not sure if it comes to any consolation, but we still have the other data fragment recovered from the scene of the Wilshire Hills incident. I'm sure that it'll be sufficient enough for what we have in mind."

"Very well, let's hear it. Give me a brief detailing of what you found out about these strange pieces of data."

"Let me first start with the obvious. Both pieces of data were quite sophisticated than anything else I have ever seen regarding the Wave World. The data I managed to decipher appeared to have held some kind of strange power. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the waves surrounding it had taken the form of flames surrounding the data. With these findings, I can safely conclude that the virus that attacked Wilshire Hills had somehow manipulated the power of fire that caused some people to be trapped."

"That is very strange. I've never heard of an instance when a virus from the Wave World was able to generate real flames into the real world. Anyway, did you manage to figure out anything about the other fragment before it was destroyed?"

"Except that it came from a different virus, I have not. It took almost two days to decipher the first one. I'd have guessed that it would probably have taken this one the same amount of time."

"Hey Geo," Omega called out to the boy in an effort to pull him out of the conversation. "Don't you think we should be going before they figure out that you've been listening in on them?"

"Good idea," Geo whispered as he quietly walked away from the door. "I already heard what I wanted to hear anyway. I only wanted to know how Aaron was going to talk his way out of telling the detective about our Wave data with the DNA fusion."

"Well, he sure did a pretty darn good job," the Wave being acknowledged. "I'm amazed how he was able to keep on finding plausible excuses and keep it flowing at the same time. He sounds almost like you when you were being interrogated by your friends."

"Let's not bring that up again," the boy said as he pushed the elevator button and the door opened. "I don't want to remember that. Let's just go on home. I'm pretty tired from all this craziness."

"Same here. I could really use a good rest right now."

And with that, the two of them rode the elevator down to the lobby and made their way out of AMAKEN began their trip back home.


	27. Omega's Past

Sorry for the long wait. I have been busy with school and all that other good stuff. For those of you who have been waiting patiently for the next chapter, I'm sorry. If any of you are thinking that this story was dead or at least on the road to dying, then you're wrong. This story is still very much alive and kicking. This would probably not be the only time when I take a while to update this story, so please be patient with me. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. I decided to give a little more background info on Omega since it seemed to be a bit overdue. Please read and review on how you think this chapter came out!

* * *

**Chapter 27: Omega's Past**

Ever since the incident at AMAKEN occurred, the buses have been put on suspension for the rest of the day. As a result, both Geo and Omega were forced to walk back home. Thankfully, the boy knew of a shortcut that would make the otherwise one hour long trip turn into a forty minute trip. It was still a long way, though, so the two of them decided to pass the time talking with each other. They could do this without the fear of others catching the boy because the streets were strangely deserted at three in the afternoon.

"It sounds like news about the attack on AMAKEN got around quickly," Omega commented as he could only see a couple of people from a distance on the sidewalks. "It's as though this whole town turned into a ghost town or something."

"Well, AMAKEN was basically the front lines of cutting edge technology," Geo explained in a voice that was just above a whisper. "If they hear that it has suffered some kind of damage from a virus attack, no matter how small, then people start to get a bit panicky. Everybody knows that the building has state-of-the-art defense systems against such attacks. That's why people tend to stay indoors whenever they hear of something like this."

"I guess it makes sense," the Wave being agreed. "If a place as mighty as AMAKEN can suffer even a small amount of damage from a virus attack, then people would have ample reason to be worried. But don't you think that they're being overdramatic about it by just a tad bit? It's almost as if they heard you caught a cold and they all decided to take shelter within their homes."

"I suppose they can take things out of proportion," the boy admitted with a sigh. "Then again, they're always going over the edge whenever they hear of a virus attack. It's like the whole city's under lockdown whenever you hear of one."

"How about we move onto a different subject? I don't know about you, but this topic seems a bit sad for me."

"Alright then. What would you like to talk about?"

"Well, for starters, how about we try to get to know each other in a more personal level? After all, we only know each other by the surface."

And for the majority of their walk back to Geo's home, the two got to know one another on a higher level. During this time, they found out that they had more in common than they had originally thought. They both had an interest in adventurous exploits and wanting to explore what the universe had to offer. They were also roughly around the same age, which Geo found to be a little surprising. He had always figured that Omega was older than him this whole time because of his attitude and knowledge in battle. He did not actually think that they could have been almost a whole year apart with the Wave being as the older one.

The two of them also grew up with their dad being out of picture for a good chunk of their lives. However, that is where Geo and Omega differ. According to the Wave being, his dad was practically a deadbeat who was rarely involved with his son's life and would eagerly pick fights with anybody, no matter who they were. Geo's dad was only too busy conducting top secret work for AMAKEN and working up in space satellites to be in his life.

"So who took care of you up until now?" Geo asked as they entered a park that was only five minutes away from the house. "Was it your mom or other relatives of yours?"

"It was my mom," Omega replied with a hint of sadness in his voice. "I don't really have any other relatives. My dad died while trying to pick a fight against one of the king's Royal Guards. I never missed him when he was out of my life, and I never felt sad at the fact that he was dead. I guess the fact that he was trying to act like what you humans would call a street punk really disconnected me from him. Anyway, after he died, my mom was the one who's been taking care of me, even though she had already been doing so since dad never seemed to give a lick of concern for me. I was only two when he was killed. Everything was as normal as it could be until I was about seven."

"What happened when you turned seven?" the boy asked as he decided to take a seat on a bench.

"Well, my mom and I found ourselves in a middle of a scuffle that was between some of the FM King's Royal Guards and some crazy punks," the Wave being explained. "It started out from something so stupid and they allowed it to escalate until they started fighting each other. My mom and I tried to run for cover, but only I managed to do so. I didn't realize that she was somehow injured and had fallen behind until I had made it a safe distance away from the scene. By then, it was already too late. She had become one of the helpless victims of that stupid argument between the punks and the king's guards. It was from then on that I became an orphan."

"I-I'm sorry to hear about that," the boy apologized with downcast eyes. "I didn't know that you had a harsh life up until now."

"It's alright. I've gotten over it somewhat. After I had learned my mom was gone, one of my best friend's parents decided to take me under their wing. From then on until I decided to sign up as one of the King's Royal Guards, I lived under their roof. It was one of the last places that I could call home."

"Sorry for asking, but why would you want to sign up to be one of the King's Royal Guards if they were the ones who took your mom's life?"

"Isn't it obvious Geo? I signed up with the Royal Guard and worked my way through their vicious training exercises so I could do one thing; exact revenge against the Royal Guards who took her life. Unfortunately, by the time I had made it to the ranks of the Royal Guard, those responsible for that incident were already…taken care of by the king, if you know what I mean."

"I'm sure I know what you mean. By the way, did you recruit any of your friends in your…plan to get revenge for your mother's death?"

For a moment, the Wave being was completely silent. He just stared at the ground with his eyes closed as his shoulders visibly tensed up.

"Yes, I did," came the soft reply. "I dragged my two best friends into this. I was hoping that if I had my them beside me and supporting me, then I would have an easier time taking care of the Royal Guard from the inside. The thing is, that's not how everything turned out. A couple of days after we had been accepted into the ranks of the Royal Guard, the king summoned both me and my friends into his private chambers. He said that he had something important that he wanted to discuss with us in private. If I had known then what was going to happen, I would have hightailed it out of there with my friends close behind me."

"What happened? What did the king say to you guys?"

"It wasn't really about what he said. In fact, it was more about what he did. He first lulled us into a false sense of security before springing his trap upon us. He called in his right-hand man and immediately apprehended us. He then told us that we shouldn't have taken him for a fool and that he had eyes and ears all over his castle where we were training. That's when it finally dawned on us; we had been figured out. The king immediately sent us into solitary confinement in separate cells to await our sentence on the crime of conspiracy against the Royal Guard and possibly against the King of the FM Planet."

"God, this almost sounds like something from a high action cop film," Geo said, eyes wide with disbelief. "Only difference between them is that this is way more real and way more serious."

"Oh, you do not know how serious of a situation we were in. On the FM Planet, any known or probable acts of conspiracy against the Royal Guard or the king results in the death penalty, no questions asked. They take the charge of conspiracy so seriously that they don't allow us to even try to defend ourselves. There was no hope for us to get out of this mess. We were in the worst kind of trouble that you could ever imagine."

"If this was an inescapable punishment, then how were you able to get out of the grasps of the death penalty?"

"I-it wasn't my fault!" Omega suddenly lashed out as he took his gaze off from the ground and onto Geo. "The king knew what we were doing all along! He just set the bait for us and played along with it until we were deep within his grasps. He tricked me! He tricked my friends!"

"C-calm down Omega!" Geo stuttered as he put a hand of the Wave being's shoulder in an attempt to calm him. "I'm sorry I asked about it. If you don't want to talk about it, then I'm fine with it. You don't have to tell me. It's alright."

"N-no, it's not alright," Omega replied as he bit his lip and brought his gaze back down to the ground. "I shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. It's just that it's hard for me to live through that moment again. That's no excuse for me getting all huffy at you, though. I'm sorry Geo."

"Don't worry about it. I won't claim to understand how you feel, but I can imagine how painful that memory must be for you. I'm sorry to ask you this, but how old were you when this all happened?"

"It…it was one day after my birthday," the Wave being answered as he started to choke on his words. "I had just turned twelve. That wa-was almost a year ago. I-I still keep the things that they bought for me on m-my neck."

With shaking hands, he brought his hands into his chest armor and pulled out the two pendants that were hanging around his neck for the boy to see.

"Are these pendants?" Geo asked as he tried to get a closer look. "Are these what your friends gave to you for your birthday?"

"They're gifts with a meaning behind them," Omega explained as he took a deep breath to steady his voice. "The flame pendant is supposed to resemble my strength and courage. The water pendant reflects the calmness I show during any situation. But do you know that the funny thing about all this is? Right now, I don't feel like I have any courage in me nor do I feel anywhere near calm. Ever since I lost my friends, I haven't felt that spark that I usually had in life. All I wanted to do was to crawl under a rock or something and just die. Everything felt wrong. When I decided to run away from it all, that's when I bumped into you on this planet. That's when everything for me changed. I slowly found myself regaining that spark within me that I had thought diminished long ago. I felt purpose and courage slowly making it's way back into me. You were the best thing that has happened to me ever since a year ago."

Upon hearing these words, Geo was, for a lack of a better word, completely shocked. This was the first time he had ever heard Omega talk about his past and he certainly didn't expect it to be this dark and morbid. What he really didn't expect to hear was that he had actually helped the Wave being regain his confidence and feel better about himself. That was the real shocker.

"A-are you for real Omega?" Geo asked as he was still trying to contemplate his words. "Do you really mean that meeting me was the best thing that has happened to you?"

"I mean it," Omega replied with a sniffle. "If I hadn't met you, I probably would have given up running and allowed those guys following me to bring me back to the king and be done away. Thanks for never giving up on trying to be my friend even though I tried to push you away many time. If you weren't being so persistent, I would probably never have gotten my real courage back."

In a quick an unexpected move, the Wave being brought his arms around the boy and pulled him into a tight embrace. Geo, who was completely taken aback by this sudden gesture, decided that he should return the gesture, even though it was…a little awkward.

After staying locked in a friendly embrace for almost a minute, the two finally decided to let go of each other.

"How about we go back to your place now?" Omega suggested with a smile as he put his two pendants back into his chest armor. "I'm kind of tired right now and I don't really want to be caught by the other Wave beings right now."

"That's probably a good idea," Geo agreed as his mind continued to wander on what they had just discussed. "Mom's probably home by now and wondering where we are right now. Oh, and before I forget, thanks for telling me more about yourself and about your past."

"Actually, I should be thanking you for taking the time to listen to me," the Wave being replied with the biggest smile the boy had ever seen him put on since he first came to Earth. "Until now, I haven't had the chance to get any of that off of my chest. Thanks for giving me the chance to do so."

Instead of giving an audible reply, the boy just nodded his head and gave a smile. The two of them continued on their way back to Geo's house in silence. However, this silence was nowhere near uncomfortable or awkward. It was a silence where they were able to reflect on what was said and heard between the two of them. And that's exactly what they did until they made it to the front steps of the house.


	28. The Harp and the Crab

**Chapter 28: The Harp and the Crab**

Later that night in the abandoned warehouse where the FM-ians were hiding out, another meeting was being held with them and the FM King on the still fuzzy screen. They have been talking for almost a whole hour since midnight and were nearing the end of their conversation.

"So even my most level-headed man couldn't get the job done?" the king asked with slight bewilderment.

"As much as I hate to admit it, that is true," Cygnus admitted shamefully. "I am sorry to have failed in your expectations of me, Your Majesty."

"Save your apologies for when you have truly failed me," the king replied as he attempted to brush it off. "It seems as though we have a slight hitch in our plans because of this. Apparently, the traitor is more efficient in fighting than we had first anticipated, especially since he now has a human as a partner that seems to be cooperating with him. It will be harder for you all to capture him."

"What is it that you would recommend us to do, Your Majesty?" the ghost-like FM-ian inquired. "He is obviously stronger and more uncooperative than we had first predicted. That and we didn't anticipate that he would have been able to find someone to perform a Wave Change in such a short amount of time."

"I think I can easily get around this little rut in our plan. All we need to do is take his human partner out of the picture. Once we do that, then it'll be more than easy to take down the traitor."

"Then allow me to do the honors. I'm sure that with my ghost-like abilities, I'll be able to take care of the bothersome human."

"I do not want you to take on this job. I already have somebody else in mind. I think these two I have in mind are more than capable of doing the job."

"Who are the two you have in mind?" the snake-like FM-ian inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"I've already sent them out to begin the mission. Have you not noticed the absence of two FM-ians in this meeting?"

"Don't tell me you actually sent the two newbies out to take care of this job?!" Taurus shouted in disbelief. "They've only been in our ranks for less than a year and hardly have any battle experience! They're practically the poorest pair to choose out of all of us! Why would you choose them over us?"

"Do not question my authority, Taurus," the king calmly warned the hot-headed bull. "You were given a chance to defend your credibility and you shattered it. If I hear you speak to me in that tone again or say anything else out of line, you'll immediately be discharged from my ranks pending an inquiry."

"Forgive me for speaking out of line, Your Majesty," Cygnus apologized, "but I'm afraid I have to agree with Taurus on this, however rude and unprecedented it may be. Why would you send two new members of the Royal Guard to take care of a traitor that has already proven himself stronger than we first gave him credit for?"

"I thought I said to not question my authority. I have already told you my plan in full detail. I expect you all to not only follow them but to honor them as well. Also, if I find out that any of you help them in any way, shape, or form, you'll all face severe consequences. This is a test for them to see if they have truly sworn their allegiance to us. The last thing I need now is another traitor amongst our ranks."

"But what if they can't manage to apprehend the traitor? I don't see how it would be beneficial to them if that were to happen."

"On the contrary, it would be very beneficial for them. If they can prove that they are willing to risk their lives in battle on the orders of the king, even though they know it to be a hopeless win, then that shows true allegiance. After all, a member of the Royal Guard must always be ready to sacrifice his or her life in the name of the king, or so the code of the Royal Guards dictate. Surely, you all haven't forgotten that oath you sworn to during your anointment ceremony in front of all those who bore witness to it. Or am I incorrect on that accord?"

"Y-you are not, Your Majesty," Cygnus admitted with an apologetic bow of his head. "I had forgotten about the code of the Royal Guards that I had so sworn my life to. I humbly apologize for doubting you and your actions. I promise you, I shall not make the same mistake again."

"I hope so, for your sake. If there are no more questions of further rude outbursts, I shall take my leave now. Remember what I've told all of you: Do not, under any circumstances, meddle in the mission I have appointed those two if you all do not wish to suffer the consequences."

And with that warning, the FM King severed his side of the communication line, leaving his Royal Guards with a blurred screen and white noise.

"I still can't believe that the FM King actually chose them to take on this mission instead of us," Taurus grumbled with an angry huff. "What in the world is he thinking? It should be obvious to him by now that Omega-Xis has become more powerful than when we first started this stupid chase."

"He must have a reason for doing so," the scale-like FM-ian observed. "It's either: A.) Setting up a test of sorts for our two new members; or B.) Deliberately keeping us in the dark about his true intentions."

"I doubt that it's the latter of the two," the snake-like FM-ian said as she slithered away from the group. "Unless it was something of the utmost importance, His Majesty would never leave us in the dark about such a frivolous detail. I believe him when he says that he's only conducting a harmless test for our two newbies. What I don't understand is why you actually attempted to go against the king's words Cygnus. That was very unlike you."

"I must admit that it was…uncharacteristic of me," Cygnus admitted with a small sigh. "However, I only addressed the obvious concern that the rest of you, except for Taurus, refused to vocalize. I'm sure you were all wondering the same thing when I questioned the king on his unexpected decision."

"Unexpected or not, it is our duty to carry out and obey the king's orders without question," the ghost-like FM-ian stated. "I must admit that I, too, was surprised when you made that remark. It was a bit too bold on your part."

"I wasn't attempting to be bold," the swan tried to clarify. "I was only voicing the concerns that were floating around in my comrades' minds. It had nothing to do with trying to defy the king in any way."

"I don't care what you did," the ox replied as he decided to make his way away from the group. "I'm just surprised that you actually agreed with me on that. You never agree with anything that I have to say."

"As much as I hate to admit it, I did. I assure you, however, that this will not become a regular occurrence. You just happened to state the concern before I had a chance to do so first."

"You know what, Cygnus?" Taurus asked as his lips started to twitch in a dangerous fashion. "I'm going to do you a favor and leave this room before anything else comes out of your mouth that might cause me to lose my temper and take it out on you. I'll be in my makeshift bedroom if anybody needs me."

Without saying another word, Taurus practically stomped out of the room and presumably went to his room where he could let off some steam.

"I suppose I've struck a very sensitive nerve, did I?" Cygnus sarcastically asked with a smirk on his face. "I never knew he was that sensitive."

About a moment later, a shout was heard coming from the hallway that Taurus had just entered.

"Watch where you're going, you overgrown cow!" the voice of the wolf-like FM-ian was heard shouting.

"Oh, put a sock in it, you ignorant dog!" the ox shouted back as more sounds of stomping footsteps were heard receding into the abandoned building. "I don't need you to tell me what to do around here! I do whatever I feel like doing!"

Another moment later, the wolf had entered the room where the meeting was taking place.

"Sorry I was late to the meeting," he explained as he gave off a small dog-like yawn. "I was busy catching up with my sleep and accidentally overslept. So what did I miss from the meeting?"

"Except for the part where His Majesty asked us to not mess in what he had assigned the two newbies with, there wasn't anything really interesting," the ghost briefly explained. "If you all don't mind, I believe I shall retire to my quarters as well. Good night, everybody."

"Well, a woman needs her beauty sleep, too," the snake said as she gave off a small stretch. "Nighty-night, boys. Don't stay up too late."

"I shall retire for the night, as well," Cygnus said as he, too, made to leave the room. "I suggest that you also do the same. If you don't feel like doing so, then we could always use someone for guard duty. Goodnight."

"W-wait a minute, you guys!" the wolf FM-ian stuttered as he watched his comrades go away one by one. "Aren't you going to fill me in on the meeting and what the king said?"

"I already told you," the ghost FM-ian reminded him. "I said that we are not to meddle in the mission His Majesty has assigned our two new members. If you were here on time for our meeting, then you wouldn't have to go around asking about what happened. Now if you will excuse me, I'm going out to find a body to possess. Enjoy what's left of your evening."

"H-hey, get back here, you freaking wannabe-ghost possessor!" the FM-ian yelled at his comrade, but they fell onto deaf ears as the ghost floated through the wall and out into the town. "Darn, he left. Now I'm stuck on guard duty. I should have stayed in bed instead of trying to figure out what was going on."

-Meanwhile-

On a hillside that was located near the outskirts of Echo Ridge, the two new members of the Royal guard, that is to say the harp and crab Wave being, were busy looking out at the city and thinking about what they were supposed to do tomorrow. Instead of mulling over things while floating around on the slightly damp grass, though, they were on one of the many Wave lines that extended from various technologies of the world and creating what could be considered many pathways to other parts of the world.

"How did we get ourselves into this mess?" the voice of the harp-like Wave being sighed out as she walked to the edge of one of the Wave paths and looked upon the bright and beautiful from the top of the hillside she was on. "I wonder if what we're about to do is even right."

"Do you really have to think about that?" the childish crab-like Wave being asked as he came up to her side. "Of course what we're doing isn't right. Since when was causing havoc within a town full of innocent people just to drag out this traitor the king wants us to take down ever the right thing to do? It never has been!"

"I know that," she replied as she looked down at the shorter FM-ian. "I was just wondering if he would have thought what we're doing is right."

"Knowing his attitude on when he first started working his way into the Royal Guard and dragging us into his crazy plan, I say he'd think that this is wrong," the small FM-ian replied without any hesitation. "Then again, he never was the type of guy to cause any unnecessary havoc in a town."

"I still can't believe that it's almost been a year. Has it really been that long since we lost him? Isn't there still a way that he's still alive?"

"Oh my god girl, just let it go already! There's no way he's still alive and kicking. That stupid king saw to it that he was killed for under the stupid charges of conspiracy against the stupid crown! That stupid guy just had to show off by offering his life in exchange for our own safety. If only all three of us weren't being held in separate solitary confinement cells, we probably would have been able to come up with a plan to escape that place. Together!"

For a few moments, the two Wave beings stood side by side in silence while looking out at the city in front of them. With the bright street lamps and lights coming from some of the buildings, it was a clear contrast to what the pair were feeling right now. It was as if Echo Ridge had only the good times and memories going for it while the two of them only had their sad, gloomy memories and an even more gloomier future ahead of them.

"So what do you suppose we should do now?" the harp asked the small crab. "Do we just go on with the king's plan as if nothing's wrong with it or do we try and get ourselves out of this mess?"

"It'll be suicide for us to try and get out of this by ourselves," he answered with a sigh. "He's got us trapped and squirming between his fingers. The only way I can see us even having a remote chance of getting out of this is if we can find this traitor we're chasing and side with him. Then again, what are the chances of someone like that wanting to have Wave beings from the Royal Guard like us around him 24/7? I know for sure that I wouldn't do something as crazy as that."

"Then I guess there's really no way out of this," she sighed sadly as she continued to look at the town she was supposed to cause a ruckus in tomorrow. "This is one of those times where I wish he was still here to help us. I'm sure he would know what to do here."

As she continued on with this track of thought, the strings on her Wave body suddenly started to play a melodic tune. The melody was very beautiful that it caught the crab-like Wave being's attention. Before he could say anything, though, she started to sing a tune that she had known since she was little.

_We're walking in the air_

_We're floating in the moonlit sky_

_The people far below_

_Are sleeping as we fly_

As she started to sing her song, the crab felt his ears perk up as he heard her sing the familiar tune. It was so soothing and almost immediately calmed his previously raging mind.

_We're holding very tight_

_I'm riding in the midnight blue_

_I'm finding I can fly_

_So high above with you_

"Isn't this the lullaby your mom taught you when the three of us were only little Wave kids?" he asked her as he listened to the calm and beautiful lyrics.

All he got for an answer was a small, barely noticeable nod from her head as she continued to concentrate on singing her song and looking at Echo Ridge at the same time. It was like a way of releasing some of the emotions she was feeling right now. She felt she needed to sing this song before she went into an emotional overload. All the smaller Wave being could do was listen as he also felt some of his pent up emotions flow away as he heard the song.

"No matter how many times I hear this song, it always finds a way to calm me down a bit," he said with a small smile as he closed his eyes and tried to relax and let his stray thoughts flow away with the melody.

_All across the world_

_The villages go by like dreams_

_The rivers and the hills_

_The forests and the streams_

_Children gaze open mouthed taken by surprise_

_Nobody down below believes their eyes_

_We're surfing in the air_

_We're swimming in the frozen sky_

_They're drifting over_

_Icy mountains floating by_

_I can't accept the fact that you're dead_, she thought as she continued to play the soothing tune on her harp strings. _I'm probably one of the few who knows you very well. You don't just easily die like that. I can't help but to feel that you really are still alive. You're just hiding out on some planet somewhere in this huge universe until you feel like the time is right for you. If that's true, then where are you hiding? Where did you run away to Omega-Xis?_

-Meanwhile-

It was a little past one in the morning and Omega was having a hard time falling asleep. No matter how hard he tried and how many comfortable positions he put himself in, he just could not get to sleep. After spending a few more minutes tossing and turning inside the Star Carrier, he sighed in frustration and decided to come out of the device for a bit.

"You'd think I'd be sleeping like a baby after having such a hectic day," he whispered to himself as he rubbed his eyes a bit. "Maybe a bit of fresh air out on the balcony will help me relax."

Following up on his thought, he floated past Geo's sleeping form and went out to the balcony. Taking a deep breath of the night air and letting it out, he leaned himself against the railing and looked out at the sleeping neighborhood. Every house on the block was dark with only the light from the streetlights giving enough illumination to make out shapes on the sidewalk.

"Nothing like the good fresh night air to sooth my thoughts," Omega sighed out as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the slight breeze that was blowing tonight. "I don't know why, but whenever I can't sleep, this always manages to make me feel sleepy."

Suddenly, he heard a voice coming from out of nowhere. However, it did not sound like a voice that was holding a conversation. It sounded more like somebody was singing a song to themselves or someone else.

"Who in the world would be singing at this hour?" he asked himself as he gave a confused look. "If they couldn't sleep, you'd think that they would do something quieter than singing. Oh well, whatever floats their boat."

After listening to the melody for a little while, he started to get the strange feeling of familiarity flowing through him.

"Wait a minute. I feel like I've heard this song somewhere before. It sounds so familiar."

_They're drifting over_

_Icy mountains floating by_

"Th-these lyrics…!" he gasped as he suddenly remembered where he had heard them from and tried to listen to the rest of the song. "They aren't what I think they are, are they?"

_Suddenly swooping low on an ocean deep_

_Arousing of a mighty monster from its sleep_

_We're walking in the air_

_We're dancing in the midnight sky_

_And everyone who sees_

_Us greets us as we fly_

"They are!" he said as he managed to hear some of the lyrics. "That's the lullaby Lyra's mom used to sing to her whenever she couldn't sleep or when she was worried! Cancer was always a sucker for the lullaby and used to ask Lyra to sing it to him. But how is that possible? She and Cancer both sacrificed their lives in order to have the king drop the conspiracy charges against me. There's no way they can be alive and only the three of us know this song. I-I must be getting really tired. Maybe I should go back in and try to get back to sleep."

And with that, he went back into Geo's room and quietly went back into the Star Carrier. He attempted to try and sleep, but the task proved difficult as thoughts about the song he had just heard kept resurfacing and bringing up questions.

After managing to quell his raging mind, he finally went to sleep. In his sleep, though, his mind continued to think on the song. Because of this, he had a dream of him and his two best friends hanging out together and playing around. It was a dream that stuck with him well into the night and until the morning.

* * *

Hello! I decided to try and Put a song into this story to try and bring out Lyra's character. For those of you who haven't noticed, don't know the series, or have just been playing ignorant, this is the first time I have used Cancer and Lyra's names. For those of you who have suspected them to be Omega's friends from the very beginning, good for you. For those of you who have not, well now you know who were his friends he was dreaming about in chapter 14. Oh yeah, before I forget, if you remember me writing about Omega hearing a gunshot when he woke up from his dream. Well, that part was not apart of the dream. It was only a way to describe the sound he heard, which was, if you remember, the sound of Geo dropping some books. Please review this chapter and tell me if you liked the music I put into it.

P.S.,

The song that was used was called, "Walking in the Air," from Celtic Woman. A very calm and beautiful song, in my opinion. And no, I do not own the song nor did I have anything to do with its creation.


	29. New Developments

**Chapter 29: New Developments**

When morning finally came, Omega was still fast asleep inside the Star Carrier. Even though he did manage to get to sleep, he still had some restless dreams and was tossing and turning. As a result, he did not really get a good night's sleep and was still out like a rock.

Geo, on the other hand, was already wide awake and had changed into his day clothes. He was busy downstairs eating his breakfast that his mom had made a few minutes ago. He had tried to wake the Wave being up before he went to eat, but the guy just would not budge. Deciding that he was just tired from yesterday's hectic antics, the boy left him alone so he could get some more sleep.

By the time he had finished his breakfast, it was already a little past ten. Seeing as he did not have anything better to do right now, he went to the living room and sat down on the couch. He picked the remote for the TV up from the coffee table in front of him and turned it on.

"What are you watching, Geo?" Hope asked from inside the kitchen as she heard the sound of the TV turning on.

"I'm just browsing around," he answered back as he flipped through the channels one by one. "I'm seeing if there's anything interesting at this hour."

As he sifted through the various channels, he found nothing of particular interest to watch. What he did manage to find were either little kid shows, cooking shows, or those paid advertisement commercials where they demonstrated some kind of cool or "revolutionary" product in front of a live audience and all that other stuff. Apparently, they did not have a lot of good programs to watch during the morning hours. Then again, it was a Wednesday morning five days into his summer vacation. He was usually busy working at school at this time instead of relaxing at home.

_Has it really only been five days since summer vacation started?_ Geo thought as he continued to sift through the channels. _It feels like it has been longer than that. I guess it's because all this craziness started about five days ago when I first met Omega. Sheesh, five days into my vacation and I haven't had a single time to rest and relax. I guess I can't complain about being bored this summer, though, since I'm probably going to have a lot more craziness in the coming days. I suppose this is kind of how Omega felt while he was busy trying to lose the FM-ians chasing him a few months ago. How in the world did he bare with continuous running with no relaxation time, though? He was either very desperate, had a body and will made of steel, or both._

When he was almost done surfing through all the channels that his TV had to offer, he stumbled across a news channel. On this news channel, they were talking about an incident that had occurred sometime around lunchtime yesterday. Feeling that he knew what this was about, he stopped at this channel and decided to listen to what they had to say.

"In other news this morning," the female anchorwoman started as she shuffled her papers, "there was an incident that occurred yesterday afternoon at the AMAKEN museum and science building at the boundaries of the Echo Ridge business district. Not many details are being given to us at this time, but from what we could gather, it sounds like the building was suffering from viral attacks that have become recent as of late. To give us some more in-depth information on this disturbing case, we have the head detective of the investigation, Detective Copper, live with us from his office. Detective?"

"Are they talking about what you said happened at AMAKEN yesterday?" Hope asked as she stuck her head out from the kitchen to look at the TV.

"They are," Geo simply replied as he saw the TV shift to a man that he knew, Detective Copper. "The detective in charge of the investigation is about to give us some more info on this."

"Oh, I do hope that this doesn't turn out to be anything too serious," she said with a worried sigh as she dropped what she was doing in the kitchen and came over in order to listen to the interview better. "The last thing we need now is more trouble to be added on to the other troubles this town has already witnessed."

"Thank you, ma'am," Detective Copper thanked the anchorwoman as the camera focused on him with what seemed to be his office in the background. "As most of you have no doubt already heard, there was a virus attack that was focused on the AMAKEN museum and science building yesterday. It started at around noontime and was thankfully resolved at about a quarter before one. We still don't have enough information in regards to how the viruses were able to attack AMAKEN in the first place. However, I will do my best in answering some of the questions that I'm sure are floating around in some of your heads.

"As all of you no doubt already know," the detective continued, "this building is basically our town's entire backbone on the creation of all anti-virus technology and defenses. In fact, it is one of the organizations held in high regard all over the world for their contribution in the study of computer viruses and how to better defend ourselves from their sometimes vicious attacks. And as a little side note, they also create miscellaneous items that help provide some form of entertainment to the general public. Basically, what I'm trying to get at here is that AMAKEN is the most technological and heavily viral-defended building in all of Echo Ridge. For us to receive a call from them in order to respond to a virus problem was beyond shocking and incomprehensible for both me and my crew."

"From what I understand, detective," the anchorwoman politely interrupted him, "it took you and your crew about a good thirty minutes in order to arrive at AMAKEN. Doesn't it usually take you only a few minutes in order to get to the building from your place of operations?"

"Under normal circumstances, the ride there would have taken no more than five short minutes," he explained with a serious facial expression. "However, this time was different from what we were accustomed to. Our response time was unfortunately severely compromised by several different uncontrollable and unforeseeable factors. The first one was that our communications with AMAKEN were jumbled up by the virus attack and we had received their message for help three minutes into the attack. We don't know how they got jumbled, but it could have been some kind of Wave discrepancies caused by the virus itself. We won't know for sure until we have completed our investigation, which would probably take about a month or so since we also have to finish up on the Wilshire Hills incident.

"The second and definitely more time consuming factor was the terrible traffic on the streets. It seemed as though the virus somehow managed to disrupt the service of all the transit buses within a half-hour radius of the building. As a result, all the streets around the area were severely jammed and everybody was in a state of utter confusion. Once again, we won't know if it caused all this until we have finished our investigation. By the time we had arrived at the building, we were already thirty minutes past our targeted response time. As much as I hate to admit it, the Satella Police was considerably late in our response time due to these unprecedented problems. We offer our apologies to AMAKEN at our poor response time."

"I also understand that there was evidence of a fight discovered at the scene of the attack. It sounds as though this virus was having a fight with someone or something else near the scene. Could you elaborate a bit more as to what this fight of sorts was? Was the virus fighting against the defenses that AMAKEN had created or was it fighting against one of its own kind?"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm afraid that kind of information is prohibited from the public. I'm not allowed to say what occurred during those forty-five minutes at this time. We have yet to conclude our initial investigation of the scene and anything I say now would only be considered a poor assumption and nothing more."

"But could you at least tell us a bit more on how this attack was stopped? Does it have anything to do about what little we know about this other dimension that you call the 'Wave World'? Could you give us some details regarding that?"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot elaborate on the topic. The Wave World is a very complicated, not to mention highly classified, matter that we don't just loosely disclose to the general public. What you already know about it is what AMAKEN deemed safe and necessary for the general public to know. Apart from the fact that you know it to be an alternate reality of sorts where all viruses mingle and dwell, you aren't allowed any information regarding it. I'm sorry, ma'am, but that is all I can say on this and the other previous matters at this time."

"Then could you tell us a little bit more about the virus that managed to break through AMAKEN's defenses? Was this just your regular everyday virus or was it something more powerful than what we all already know?"

"I'm afraid I cannot say as to what kind of virus this was. It had unfortunately ran away before we could even get a chance to capture it. Unlike last time, we didn't even manage to get a Wave sample of this virus. However, we can safely conclude one thing from all of this. The virus that attacked AMAKEN was beyond your everyday normal virus. It's probably as strong or even stronger than the one that attacked Wilshire Hills a couple of days ago."

"From these two recent attacks, can you conclude anything from them?" the anchorwoman inquired. "Do you know what is motivating these viruses to cause such devastating acts of destruction?"

"What goes on in a virus's head stays in their head. We may never know just whatever it is that's driving them to cause such destructive acts. There's no plausible way for us to figure out if such a motive exists unless we were able to directly talk to at least one of them."

_Then I guess I'm a really lucky guy, _Geo thought sarcastically as he carefully listened to the interview while his mom was glued to the screen and had taken a seat on a chair a while ago. _I can talk directly to them and I happen to know the motive behind their recently aggressive attacks. It's funny how I'm probably the only human in this entire town who knows about this._

"I'm sorry, detective, but we appear to be running low on interview time here," the anchorwoman apologized as she briefly looked down at her notes. "Allow me to ask you one more question before we leave you. Judging from all these recent virus attacks around town, both minor and major, do the citizens of Echo Ridge have any reason to be worried at this time?"

"I should hope not," Detective Copper answered as he scratched his ear a bit. "As long as we don't suffer anymore of these major attacks, then the citizens should not be worried too much. However, if I were to combine the damage caused by all of these recent virus attacks and not include the repairs already done to most of the damaged property, then I would say that we have a bit of a problem on our hands. After much deliberation last night in an important meeting discussing this, both AMAKEN and the Satella Police have decided to put this town under level one security alert. It's nothing to fret about, mind you. A level one security alert just means that we want all of the citizens to take extra measures in protecting any and all of their electronics from viruses. It's nothing serious. We just want the public's help in mitigating the possible damage that those pesky viruses can cause."

"Okay. Well, thank you for taking time in answering some of our questions, Detective Copper."

"It is my duty and my pleasure, ma'am."

After they said their goodbyes, the camera that was airing in Detective Copper's office turned off and the newsroom was back onto the screen.

"When we talked with authorities about this incident late last night, they had indulged upon us that a virus had broken into AMAKEN's defenses," the anchorwoman recapped from last night's newscast. "That was all the information we had received then. Now we know that the virus was of the same caliber, maybe even stronger, than the one that attacked Wilshire Hills. In addition to that, the Satella Police, in collaboration with AMAKEN, has decided to impose a level one security alert. Is this a sign of more things to come? Only time will give us the full story.

"As we move onto the News of the World, we have heard of a shocking breakthrough from halfway across the globe. The ambassador of the…"

"What a dangerous world we live in these days," Hope sighed sadly as she got up from the couch and went back to the kitchen to finish washing the dishes. "So many viruses causing havoc in the world we care about so much. Do you think there will ever be an end to all this chaos, Geo?"

"I really don't know, mom," Geo answered as he started thinking about the battles he had already partaken in with some of the FM-ians. "If you were to ask me what the viruses were doing, I would say that they're looking for something of great importance. Otherwise, they wouldn't be causing this much trouble. That's just what I'm thinking, anyway. Then again, I have been seeing a lot of viruses grouping together whenever they decide to attack something."

"Do you suppose what you're seeing is a sign of sorts that those creatures are up to something?" his mom asked as the sound of running water was heard.

"I wish I could tell you," he sighed as he turned off the TV and got up from the couch. "Only dad or Aaron would know the answer to that. Anyway, I'm going to go upstairs and get ready to go out. I'm planning to visit Aaron and see if everything's alright with him."

"Please be careful when you go there. I'm sure that the Satella Police are still there doing their investigation. I'm not even sure that they'll allow you inside AMAKEN."

"Don't worry, I'll be careful. Besides, I still have Aaron's Transer I.D. for the bus with me that I need to return. They should be able to let me in if I show them that. I'm going to go ahead and get ready now."

And with that, Geo went up to the second floor and into his room. Once there, he quietly shut the door and went to get his shoes and a clean pair of socks. He was too busy getting himself ready to go somewhere that he failed to noticed that a certain someone had awakened from their sleep already.

"So the FM-ians finally made it onto the news, did they?" a familiar sarcastic voice asked the boy. "Who would have thought that they would have become this famous?"

"I see you've already woken up, Omega," Geo replied calmly as he was not surprised at the sudden appearance of a voice. "Did you manage to get some good sleep last night?"

"Eh, not really, but I experienced worse," the Wave being said as he shrugged it off. "I think I kept tossing around in my sleep all night, though."

"That's what it sounded like," the boy said with a small smile. "You woke me up a couple of times with your constant tossing around. I was kind of wondering if you were having a bad dream or something."

"You don't know how right you are on that, Geo."

"Anyway, how long have you been awake?"

"Ever since the start of that news broadcast about what happened at AMAKEN. I was listening to it from the top of the staircase. I heard every word that tenacious and nosey detective said."

"Then I guess you heard him declare a level one security alert."

"I did. By the way, what is the level one security alert supposed to do in order to prevent any more attacks?"

"Well, the point in doing so is to try and lower the amount of computers affected by the viruses. It would kind of help the Satella Police pinpoint where they're coming from. They say that viruses are more devastating to a computer that's closer to where they're residing."

"That's pretty much true for the most part. The little guys really like to form their own little groups and call certain parts of the Wave World as their home turf. But even if the places close to where the groups are now were to follow up on the alert, those viruses can still cause devastation to their computers."

"That's kinda the entire point. You see, the Satella Police and AMAKEN have discovered a few years ago that some computers were being attacked even with the alert in place. That's when they found out that they could use this alert to narrow down the places that the viruses could be coming from."

"You humans really are smarter than I first gave you credit for. Just out of curiosity, though, what would happen if the police couldn't pinpoint the location of the virus group?"

"Then they would probably go into a level two security alert. After that would be level three, then level four would come into play. If it has been confirmed to be a major problem, which Echo Ridge has never faced such a predicament before, then the security level would be raised to the highest, level five."

"Okay… Do me a favor and don't tell me what each of the levels stand for. I don't think it would end well for me if the went to that level."

"You really don't want to know. Anyway, do you really think that a level one security alert would help keep the FM-ians from destroying more places?"

"I doubt it. FM-ians are stronger than your average, small-fry virus. They can even break through AMAKEN's defenses, which seem to hold the state-of-the-art technology against such attacks. At the rate they're going, the police would probably raise the alert to level two in a heart beat."

"It's going to become a level two if they don't stop trying to lure you out into the open and capture you. What did you do to make them so angry with you? I really doubt it's another conspiracy charge since Cygnus kept referring to you as a traitor. People who've been branded as conspirators don't usually get called traitors, despite how much that Wave being loved to say it. What did you do to betray them?"

"It's a long story and I don't really feel like talking about it right now. Maybe I'll tell you tonight if I'm feeling up to it. By the way, didn't you tell your mom that you had somewhere to go?"

"Oh, I almost forgot. I told her I was going to check up on Aaron and see how he's doing. He's probably busy filling out a lot of incident reports."

Without saying another word, he quickly put on his socks and shoes. He then pocketed his Star Carrier and went downstairs with Omega close at his heels.

"Try to be back before lunch!" Hope called out to Geo as he passed by the kitchen doorway and towards the door.

"I'll try!" he answered back as he opened the door. "If I can't make it, I'll call you."

"Okay. Be careful out there, Geo!"

"I will. I'll see you later!"

And with that, he went out the door and started to walk towards the bus stop with Omega quietly walking right next to him.


	30. Learning More About the Waves

Hello everybody. It's been a little over two weeks since I last updated. Here's the next chapter of this story. I hope you enjoy it. Oh, by the way, I have put in a poll in my profile page if any of you would care to see it. Please vote on it. In the meantime, I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

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**Chapter 30: Learning More About the Waves**

"Oh, come on!" Geo exclaimed as he stared at a sign that was posted on the bus stop. "The buses aren't going to be in service for the whole of today? I knew that they suffered some damage from yesterday's craziness, but I didn't think that it was this bad. Now how are we going to get to AMAKEN now?"

"How about you ask one of your friends' parents for a ride there?" Omega suggested as he read the sign that said, "No Service Today". "I'm sure they wouldn't mind giving you a lift."

"I don't think now's a good time to ask them to take me there," the boy sighed as he took a seat at the bus stop bench. "Their parents are most likely too worried about what happened at AMAKEN yesterday to even consider taking me there, much less go there themselves. Even though Luna's parents aren't at her house, her butlers act like her guardians. Despite the fact that she would have some influence over them as the daughter of their employer, I doubt that they would go and take me there. Even butlers have their limits, whether you believe it or not."

"I guess even the most loyal of penguins are smart enough to not go to a place where something bad happened," the Wave being replied with a roll of his eyes. "If you're sure that none of your friends' parents are going to take you there, then why is your mom letting you go? I'm pretty sure she's thinking the same thing everyone else seems to be thinking about yesterday's incident. Why would she let you go if she knows about the attack that took place yesterday?"

"She knows that I have my reasons. I usually only go there to talk to Aaron about certain private or important things. She also knows that if I have to talk to him about something while he's really busy or something crazy like yesterday happened, then it _has_ to be pretty important. Otherwise, I would just wait until everything calmed down before I visited him. Now that she knows I've already told Aaron about my ability to see the Wave World, I have even more reason to go and talk to him while it's busy as heck down at AMAKEN."

"It sounds like your mom really knows you well. If that's the case, then what's so important that you have to ask him right this minute? I'm pretty sure that the Satella Police has decided to perform a full-blown investigation of the gosh darn place."

"I just want to ask him if there's any way for him create something that could help us in our future battles with other FM-ians. We already faced a muscle-hardened bull and a insanely agile swan. I don't think it would be a good idea to battle the others without any kind of backup at least."

"What exactly do you mean by backup, Geo?"

"I'm not really sure on that myself. That's why I need to go and talk to Aaron about this right now. We don't know when the next attack will happen and I just want to be well prepared for when the occasion arises."

"I suppose that makes sense." "The only problem with that plan is that I can't go to AMAKEN when the buses have decided to put a freeze on their services. I'm not going to walk there like I did last time because the regular police usually patrol that route and are on the lookout for any suspicious activity."

"Why would they want to patrol a small trashy route like that? Don't they have anything else better to do?"

"Actually, the building next to that route used to be a really popular hangout spot for the local gangs until a couple of weeks ago when the police raided the place. They just want to make sure that no one's trying to fix up the place and make it into a hangout spot for gangs. I figured that they wouldn't be patrolling the place yesterday because of it's relative closeness to AMAKEN. I took a gamble then and I was right. I think that they're back on duty today, though, so taking that route again is out of the picture. With the only walking route to there out of my options, I don't see how I'm going to be able to get there now."

"Wow, I didn't think you were that daring enough to be walking through a dead gang's territory," Omega stated absentmindedly. "Talk about being a bit daring with your life. Anyway, I think I can help you with your traveling woes."

"Do you know how to drive some kind of car?" Geo asked with a disbelieving look on his face. "Because if you do, then I'll be so amazed."

"Uh, I don't even know what a car is," the Wave being stated with a cocked eyebrow. "I can take a guess that it's a smaller version of the bus that I've seen passing through your neighborhood during the morning hours. Am I right?"

"That's pretty much it, Omega."

"Okay, then no. I don't know how to drive a car. However, I think that I can give you another way to get to AMAKEN and I'll bet that it'll be even more fun than traveling in a cramped seat of a bus or car."

"You know of another way that I can get to AMAKEN?"

"Of course I do, but we need to be in our Merged Form in order for this to work. Are you willing to try it Geo?"

"Hey, if it's another excuse for me to see how you live in the Wave World, then I'm up for it. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it, provided that it has nothing to do with anything illegal."

"Alright then. Go ahead and change into our Merged Form. Once you do that, I'll tell you what to do next."

Giddy with excitement, Geo quickly got up from the bench and went searching for a place where he could change into his Wave Form without anyone seeing him. After making sure that no one was nearby, he climbed up a nearby tree and made sure he was well hidden within the leaves and branches. Once he made sure of that, he immediately changed into his Wave Form.

"Alright, I'm in our Merged Form," Geo said to the Wave being. "I'm still getting used to the feeling, but I really have to say that this is really cool."

"Just make sure you don't get too pumped up with the excitement of it all," Omega warned him. "Anyway, there's something I should tell you before we go anywhere. There are two different types of modes we could be in when we're in the Merged Form."

"Two different types of modes?" the boy inquired in his normal tone. "What do you mean by that?"

"Keep it down a bit," the Wave being hushed him. "We're right now in what us Wave Beings call the Real Form. That basically means that anybody from the real world can see us as if we were actual humans. They can also hear us talking to each other when we're in this form. So unless you want the good people passing by this tree to see us hiding up here and talking with each other, then I suggest that you lower your voice."

"But if we're in the Real Form where everybody can see us, then how can we make ourselves invisible to them?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that part of the Merged Form. I'm more than capable of handling that part of our Wave Form. And just for the record, it's called the Wave Mode when we're invisible to the real world. We're right now in something that I call the Real Mode. Basically, that means that everybody in the real world can see us like we were a normal human. Don't worry about turning invisible, though. I can easily take care of that."

"Then does that mean that I can go between the real world and the Wave World anytime I want?" Geo asked in a more softer tone.

"Not exactly," Omega said as contorted his face in thought. "It's a bit hard to explain, but I'll try my best. You see, when you're in the Merged Form, you're not fully in the real world. The same goes for the Wave World also. In other words, you're able to make yourself known in the real world, yet at the same time, have the ability to disappear into the Wave World with my help. This basically means that you're treading the boundaries between the two worlds. You're never totally in one world and not in the other. Fifty percent of you is tied to the real world and the other half is tied to the Wave World at all times."

"So it's like saying that you can't be asleep and awake at the same time, right?"

"That's basically it. If you want it in more simpler terms, then here it is: Your human side supplies half of this Merged form's power while my Wave side provides the other half. That's what makes you right on the boundary between both worlds."

"Wow, that sounds pretty complicated. I think I understood most of what you said, though."

"That's good enough for now then. I pretty much figured that you would have at least understood some of what I was saying. Now that I'm done explaining all of this, I'll go ahead and change us into the Wave Mode. It'll take a few moments for it to work, so just hang tight for a sec."

"Before we start, are you sure this is safe? Am I going to feel something weird when you do this?"

"I don't know. I've never really did a Wave Change like this before. I'm not sure if you're going to feel anything."

"But didn't you say that you performed a Wave Change before?"

"Not really. The only time I did this was during a training exercise on the FM Planet. It was supposedly a technique was meant for emergency situations when on an alien planet. I performed it with a test dummy that had been programmed to have the same Wave signature as me. It wasn't anything near the real thing."

"Well…, that was reassuring."

"Oh, just stop whining about it and suck it up, Geo. If it hurts, then it hurts. It's no use to complain about it."

"I guess you're right. Go ahead and do it, Omega."

"I already did it."

"Huh?" Geo asked in disbelief as he looked at the Wave being on his hand. "B-but nothing happened! When did you do it?"

"While we were busy talking just now," Omega explained as he gave a small smile. "I'm guessing then that you didn't feel anything when I did it, seeing as how you're not complaining about it or anything, right?"

"I-I guess everything went alright," the boy stammered as he looked at his free hand while trying to get over his friend's sneakiness. "But I don't really feel any different. I thought that you said that I would be able to pass through objects when I'm in the Wave Mode. I'm still sitting on the branch of this tree, though."

"Well, being in the Wave Mode has its limits," the Wave being admitted with a sigh. "While you're like this, you can pass through any inorganic, or man-made, creation as if there were nothing in front of you. However, if you tried to pass through something that's organic and truly native to the planet, like this tree, then it doesn't matter what form you're in. You're always going to be able to sit, touch, destroy, or do whatever it is you want with the organics. The only exception to this rule would be humans. You would still pass through them in the Wave Mode as if they were just plain air, even though they're organic and a native to this planet. Strange, I know, but those are the rules for the Wave Mode."

"How is that possible, though? I thought that I could pass through anything while I'm in our Wave form."

"It seems as though that anything that has been a part of your planet since the dawn of time has some kind of connection to the Wave World, no matter how small it may be. That's why you're not able to pass through certain things like trees, or at least that's what they told me when I was still training to become a Personal Guard. I guess it ended up being true."

"But the Wave World never existed until sometime around the mid-20th century. In fact, it had only been recently discovered during the Technological War of the 21st Century. How is that possible?"

"I'm not sure, but I can take a pretty good guess. From what I remember learning about EM History, some of the well-known warriors from hundreds of years ago have managed to discover some planets outside this galaxy. It's not too far of a stretch for you to believe that since the FM Planet is located pretty close to the edge of this galaxy. Anyway, from what they managed to record of their journey, most of them said that the planets they were on have never seen even the slightest bit of their style of Wave Signatures. In other words, they had modern signatures in them and couldn't find anything that had a hint of that same signature."

"So how were they able to explore the planet they were on if they didn't have any kind of modern Wave Signature or whatever it is that makes you all modern? It doesn't sound like it would have been possible for them."

"It certainly doesn't. However, they were still able to explore the planets without any trouble. They were not sure as to how that was possible. Even now, we're not exactly sure how they could have explored a planet that lacked Waves. Some of us these days have managed to come up with some kind of explanations for this. They say that every planet has some kind of Wave Signature emanating from its core. It's because of this that they're able to explore the planet with no trouble."

"That's a pretty interesting theory they're talking about," Geo remarked with a raised eyebrow as he continued to sit on the tree branch. "I never heard of a planet emitting a Wave Signature of its own. It sounds a bit too farfetched to be real."

"Tell me about it," Omega agreed with a smile. "It's one of the weirdest things I have ever heard. However, it does seem to have a ring of truth in it. Ever since I came to Earth, I've always wondered why all of the organic things here had a Wave essence emitting from it, albeit a small amount. Now that I remember that little bit of history, it kind of makes sense as to why it is. It must be because it's been an original part of the planet, which in turn has a Wave reading of its own and has given part of it to the organics occupying this planet."

"Heh, I never thought of you to be the thinking type, Omega," the boy replied with a soft chuckle. "Since when did you become such a philosopher?"

"Hey, aren't I allowed to do a bit of thinking every once in a while?" the Wave being asked in a mocked defensive tone. "Don't tell me that it's a crime for me to do that here. Anyway, with all kidding aside, don't you think we've wasted enough time up in this tree discussing things that could wait another day and time? Didn't you say that you wanted to visit Aaron at AMAKEN?"

"Oh no! I'd completely forgotten about that! How long have we been sitting up here and talking?"

"I willing to bet on a good ten to fifteen minutes. I can't be too sure, though. Besides, I don't think that it would really matter, with things how they are right now. I don't think that Aaron would be going anywhere any time soon. I'm sure that he's busy trying to fix up the mess that our fight with Cygnus caused yesterday."

"I guess you're right. I'm sorry about that little outburst. I was just a bit surprised at how long we've been talking up here and how I lost track of time."

"Really? It sounded like you were more than just a little bit surprised. It's really hard to tell, you know?"

"Just drop it, okay? How about we get on to what we were trying to do and get to AMAKEN? The sooner we get there, the better."

"I agree. Just go ahead and jump off of this tree and I'll go ahead and teach you some more things about our Merged Form, especially the part that involves traveling."

"Oh, I definitely can't wait for that," Geo giddily replied as he hopped off the branch and landed noiselessly on the soft green grass without a single misstep.


	31. Learning How to Travel the Wave Roads

Sorry for not updating in a while. Way too much work. Hey, a dragon still needs to take care of his personal business before working on his story. Hopefully, you guys will be satisfied with this chapter until I'm done with the other one. Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Don't forget to give me some reviews!  


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**Chapter 31: Learning How to Travel the Waves**

"Alright, first things first, Geo," Omega said in a business-like tone. "Before I start telling you how we're going to get to AMAKEN in this form, I want you to take a quick look above you."

"Why?" Geo asked as he cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "What's so important about the sky that you would want me to look at it?"

"It's not the sky itself that I want you to see," the Wave being explained with a knowing smile. "It's what's up _in_ the sky that I want you to take a look at. Now hurry up and look already!"

"Alright, alright!" the boy sighed at his friend's hastiness with a quick roll of his eyes. "No need to be rushing me or anything like that. It isn't as though I'm in a hurry to get to AMAKEN."

As he tilted his head back so he could better see what it was that Omega wanted him to see, he wondered what it was that he was supposed to be seeing. When he finally got a good view of the sky, he was surprised at what he saw floating around up there. Up in the sky were a whole bunch of bright orange transparent lines that extended all over Echo Ridge. Some of them even looked like they actually extended farther than that.. Some led to buildings while others just seemed to look like the regular roads that the Real World had. It was as if he had discovered some kind of technological grid of sorts that was meant to help regulate the entire world.

"Whoa, what in the world are all those things, Omega?" Geo asked with his mouth wide open as he continued to stare at the orange lines in the sky in amazement. "I've never seen anything like this before!"

"That is what we Wave beings call the Wave Road," Omega explained as he smiled widely at the boy's awestruck expression. "So far, only Earth has this kind of traveling system made available to us. It's one of the ways that we can get around to different parts of the planet in a flash. In fact, I consider it the only efficient way to get around this planet without having to sit in some cramped bus in order to get to your destination. You really get to have a lot more freedom while you're at it. It sounds as though your planet is the most, if not the only, well advanced place in this entire galaxy. Pretty neat, huh?"

"This is so cool! I never even knew something like this existed here on Earth. How long has this been here?"

"I'm not really sure. I'll take a guess in saying that it was created during that techno war your planet had a few decades ago. I suppose something good did come out of that battle, wouldn't you agree?"

"I-I guess so," the boy replied with a big smile as he managed to tear his gaze from this new sight and look at his Wave partner. "But isn't the Wave Road a part of the Wave World? If that's so, then why have I never seen them before until now? You know that I have the ability to see anything that's related to the Wave World."

"I'm not really sure about that," the Wave being admitted as he pondered on the question. "If I were to take a guess, I would say that you couldn't see the Wave Road earlier because you were never once a part of the Wave World itself. Now that you have already done a Wave Change with me a couple off times, thus being exposed to the Wave World, you're able to see the Wave Road. Again, this is all just a bad guess, but you can't really say that it's not possible."

"You know, you could be right on that. After considering everything that I have done over the past few days, even the craziest explanations sound good to me. Then again, this just provides another question that needs to be answered when I go to see Aaron."

"Speaking about him, shouldn't we be making our way to his office now? I thought you said that you wanted to go and see how he's doing right now."

"Oh yeah, I'd completely forgotten all about that," Geo sighed out with a small frown as he remembered what he had forgotten due to his excitement. "I was so amazed at learning so much about the Wave World that I didn't even remember why I had asked you about it in the first place."

"Somehow, I'm not surprised at that fact," Omega snorted in reply with a small and noticeable half-smile. "Anyway, let me go ahead and finally start explaining how we are going to travel around in this form. As I had already stated earlier, the Wave Roads that you see floating up in the sky serve as us Wave Beings' quickest form of traveling. In fact, it's the only way we would choose to travel if we ever had the need to go to the other side of the planet in a flash."

"If you wanted to, couldn't you go traveling around without the use of the Wave Roads?" the boy asked as he once again looked up at the various orange-tinted lines that littered the sky.

"We could if we wanted to, but it would be _really_ redundant for us to do so," the Wave being said as he looked at Geo with a what-the-heck look on his face. "Not to mention very boring as well. I mean, why take your time just to get somewhere when you can do so at a much faster pace? Besides, if one of the FM-ians decide to attack somewhere on the other side of the planet, you'd need to get there in a hurry, wouldn't you say?"

"I suppose so. By the way, was that how you managed to make it all the here to Earth from the FM Planet through the Wave Roads?"

"Oh, don't be crazy. Of course that wasn't how I got here. Besides, I'm sure that I already told you earlier that the Wave Roads only existed here on Earth and nowhere else, did I not? That and I said that it took a few months for me to even get here in the first place. Don't tell me that you were so taken aback by everything that has happened to you these past few days that you already forgotten about that."

"Uh, is it safe to say that I did forget?"

"Ugh, you're hopeless, you know that?"

"Hey, you can't expect me to remember everything that's been happening to me ever since you first came here a few days ago. It's been too hectic for me to even try to remember anything. That and I've been busy coming up with plausible excuses if I ever encounter that detective again."

"I guess I can't blame you when you put it that way," Omega admitted with a small sigh. "Then again, who am I to talk about you forgetting things? It's been too crazy lately for me to remember much of the past few days, too."

"So then who are you to preach to me about forgetting things if you yourself already have a hard time doing so?" Geo asked as he gave a small smile. "You're also forgetting some things because of this."

"Look, can we just get back to what we were trying to do before all of this started?" the Wave being asked in an attempt to drop the subject. "I would like to get to where you wanted to go to before I grow old and die, you know?"

"Alright, alright," the boy replied with a sigh. "We're going to go now. I still need you to teach me how to travel around on the Wave Roads in this form though before we can even start to go anywhere."

"I know. If we could just stop getting sidetracked on every little thing that we talk about, then we can get this over with quickly."

"Then how about we stop talking about it and start doing it already?"

"That's just what I was about to suggest. Now let's hurry up with it and start already. In order for me to give you the best explanation possible, I'm going to need you to get onto one of the Wave Roads up there."

"You want me to get onto one of those things up in the sky?" Geo asked with a raised eyebrow. "You know, that would be all good and everything, but how in the heck am I supposed to be able to even get up there in the first place?"

"Oh, that's one of the easiest things for you to do," Omega replied as he rolled his eyes a bit. "All you have to do is to jump onto them from where you are. It's almost the same thing as when you jumped onto the roof of one of the buildings while you were fighting Taurus a few days ago."

"Is it really that simple?" the boy asked with mild skepticism in his voice. "There seems to be a lot less landing space here than there was on the roof. How am I supposed to be able to get onto one of those roads without overshooting it or something to that effect?"

"Don't worry about it. It's much easier than it sounds and looks. Just think of the Wave Roads as some kind of gigantic Wave being magnet that attracts you to it whenever you want to get onto it. It's pretty much a good guarantee that you would never miss getting onto the roads."

"That's how they work? It still sounds way too simple for me. It's almost as though there's some kind of catch to it or something."

"Trust me on this, Geo. That's how simple it really is. If you don't believe me, then try it out for yourself. Just jump onto any one of those roads up there and you'll see what I mean."

"Alright, I'll go ahead and try it out. It's not like I have much of a choice on it anyway."

"Oh yeah, make sure that you actually _try_ to jump onto it as if you were trying to jump onto the roof of that tall building at Wilshire Hills the other day," Omega reminded him. "Otherwise, you're not going to make it no matter how hard you try."

"I'll make sure to keep that in mind," Geo replied as he got himself ready to get onto the Wave Roads, or at least attempt to do so. "Besides, you already warned me about that a couple minutes ago."

"Well, it never hurt to try and remind you again," the Wave being said as he cocked his head in a way that made it seem like he was shrugging his shoulders. "It is a pretty important thing to remember since this is the first of many times that you'd probably be using them. Now hurry up and do it already!"

Without saying another word, yet stealing a quick roll of his eyes in annoyance, the boy got himself ready to get onto the Wave Roads. After taking a few deep breaths, he took a few running steps forward and jumped high into the air just like he did during his battle with Taurus. However, something felt different than from the last time he jumped like this. Instead of feeling like a natural jump, or as natural as it was ever going to be given the circumstances, it felt like he was being pulled towards one of the many roads that were in the sky. Before he knew it, he had landed safely and softly onto one of the orange lines and was standing on it.

"Wow, I see what you mean now when you said that these things were like a big magnet," Geo said in awe as he tried to stomp on the Wave Road underneath him with one of his feet. "This actually feels just like regular solid ground. It's like I'm not even walking on thin air."

"I told you it was that simple," Omega replied with a big smile on his face. "All you need to remember is that you can do almost anything when you're in the Merged Form. That also includes jumping to impossibly large heights, walking around on seemingly empty air, and battling Wave viruses and other Wave beings. Pretty cool and convenient, isn't it?"

"It's way better than cool," the boy answered as he stole a quick glance underneath him. "It's awesome! By the way, would I ever accidentally fall off of this Wave Road while I'm on it?"

"Yes, you can," the Wave being acknowledged as his smile fell a bit. "However, you'd have to be a complete klutz in order to do something as stupid as that. Otherwise, it's almost impossible for you to fall off the roads."

"Well, that was a great vote of confidence from you. Is there anything else that I should know about before I start learning how to travel around like this?"

"Not really. Just make sure that you don't go too fast since you're not accustomed to this type of travel. I'm not sure if it would be a good idea for you to jump right into that without adequate practice just yet."

"What do you mean by going too fast? Are you saying that I can travel faster than a car?"

"I'm saying that you can actually move faster than anything that even resides on this planet. However, I wouldn't suggest on trying it out just yet. It'll probably take you a few tries to get accustomed with traveling on the Wave Roads before you can even try to move around at that pace. For now, we'll just be going at a nice and slow speed for the sake of practice."

"Alright, Omega," Geo said with a small sigh. "So what do you want me to be doing right now?"

"Just stay relaxed and listen to what I say," Omega said as he began his explanation. "First, you can't really travel at a fast speed without my help. I'm basically the one who supplies the energy for this kind of travel. The next thing that you have to do is to relax and allow yourself to become a part of the Wave Road."

"Become a part of the Wave Road?" the boy repeated with a cocked eyebrow. "How the heck am I supposed to be able to do that?"

"Actually, I kind of explained it incorrectly earlier," the Wave being corrected himself. "Let me revise it a bit. Once you set foot on the Wave Road, you temporarily become a part of it. You can still get on or off of it whenever you feel like it. Becoming a part of it is just a pretty small, but required, thing that you don't have to worry about. Besides, it makes this kind of traveling much easier and puts less strain on Wave bodies. I should know, so trust me on this."

"Okay, I think I understand it a bit better now. So how is it that I would be able to move along with the Wave Road itself?"

"Oh, that's easy. All you have to do is the same thing you've been doing in the Real World and just start running. It's as simple as that."

"That's all I have to do? But didn't you say that I wasn't ready for moving at such a fast speed without any practice yet?"

"Let me tell you a little bit about the four types of speeds on the Wave Roads, at least that's what I call them. There's agonizingly slow like a gosh darn turtle, a relaxed medium, yet adequate pace like when you were walking fast in human form, fast as that of the cars on the ground, except faster, and blazing fast that you could probably be considered as that speedy blue cartoon character from the 21st century with green eyes and what looked to be like spiky quills on his head."

"Are you talking about Sonic the Hedgehog?" Geo asked with a raised eyebrow. "If so, then how did you manage figure out about something like that? I somehow got the impression that you've never been to this planet before."

"Oh, it's true that I've never been here before until now," Omega clarified with a smirk as if what he just said earlier wasn't such a big deal. "I just…happened to find some movie cases of said character lying around on the floor of your closet. I pretty much got the gist of who he was just by reading the back of one of those boxes. Judging by the dates I saw on the boxes, I didn't think that you were the type to watch some really outdated cartoons from so long ago."

"…You were snooping around in my closet and looking at the DVDs and other stuff I have in there while I was out of my room?" the boy asked in a threateningly low growling tone of anger as he brought Omega's head to his eye level.

"So that's what they're called," the Wave being replied as he seemed completely unfazed by his partner's unwavering and angry gaze. "Actually, I prefer the phrase 'getting to know my roommate' better than 'snooping around.' After all, I really am just trying to know a little bit more about the guy who I'm more or less likely going to be living with for the next few months or so. It's only natural for me to be a bit curious about your daily life, you get what I'm saying?"

"Ugh, you know you could have at least asked me for permission to sift through my stuff before you did it!" the boy answered with a very frustrated growl. "I wouldn't have minded it as much if you only did that first. There's a couple of sayings that we Humans have here on Earth. They are 'common curtsey' and 'being respectful of one's privacy.' If I were the type to have kept a diary, I could have left it lying open on the floor, you know that?"

"Yeah, well, that thought didn't really cross my mind at the time I was doing it. I was really bored then and just had to do something so I could make time go by faster. Anyway, can we just drop the subject now? I want to go ahead and finish up explaining to you the basics of Wave traveling."

"Alright, fine. Just make sure to tell me in advance if you ever plan to go sifting through my personal stuff again."

"I'll be sure to make a note of that for next time. Now, let me go ahead and finish up with the explanation before we get old here. With those four different levels of speed in mind, you should have an idea as to how fast you are able to go. The speed we're going to be using today is the one that's slightly faster than a car."

"So what do I have to do in order to move at such a fast pace? Do I have to try and run at my fastest speed in order to accomplish it or something?"

"Not exactly, Geo. Let me go ahead and tell you how to initiate each level of speed. If you wanted to move at a nice slow pace, which I'll never understand why you would want to do that, then all you would have to do is walk. If you wanted to be at a medium pace, then just walk faster. For the third and fourth level of speed is when you would have to start running.

"If you wanted to be as fast as or faster than a car, that's when you'd have to start running as you normally would in human form," the Wave being continued. "I would also lend you a bit of my power in order for you to achieve such a speed. If you wanted to travel at the fastest speed possible for us, I would have to then lend you even more of my power in order for that to become possible. You'd just have to run at the same speed as you would have for the third type of speed. You don't have to go crazy fast like Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Alright, give it a rest now. Anyway, as you already mentioned earlier, we're not going to be using the top speed because this is my first time traveling on the Wave Roads," Geo added once Omega was done explaining the speed basics. "You want me to become accustomed to this style of traveling before we start to actually go at that type of speed, right?"

"That's pretty much it. Now, let's stop talking and actually start traveling in this form. The first two types of speeds are what you can do without my help, so we're going to just skip on ahead to the third speed level. Are you ready to try it out?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Good. Then go ahead and start running. I'll take care of the rest once you pick up enough speed."

With a sigh that blew what little bangs that he had over his eyes away, Geo began to run at a pace that he would normally consider to be running in his human form.

"How long does it usually take for me to be able to reach the third speed level?" he asked as he continued to run at the same pace.

"Why are you asking me about something like that?" Omega replied with another question. "Unless I'm just going insane, I'm sure I already told you that this is only my first time actually performing a Wave Change with a human. I have no idea how long this is supposed to take."

"Then how about you just take a quick guess?" the boy countered with a frustrated sigh. "I didn't say that I wanted an exact timeframe or anything like that."

"Well, since you put it that way," the Wave being quietly mumbled before quickly replying, "it shouldn't take no more than ten seconds at most. I think it depends on how much energy I have in me."

"Oh, then that shouldn't be much of a problem. You just woke up from a nap about an hour ago, so you should have lots of energy in you. Either that or you're one very sleep deprived Wave being."

"Ha, ha, Geo. Very funny. Anyway, I think that we have already reached level three speed. We're right now traveling a little bit faster than the car that we had just went over.

As if to see whether the Wave being was pulling his leg, Geo quickly looked down at the streets of Echo Ridge and saw that he was indeed moving faster than the cars that were on the freeway he was passing over.

"Wow, I really am moving faster than them!" he replied excitedly with a big smile. "I never thought that I would be able to do something like this in my entire life."

"Yeah, well, just one piece of advice before you get too carried away," Omega said in a tone that suggested that this was nothing new to him. "You can stop running now that I have used some of my power to help you move at this speed. You'll still be moving at the same pace simply because my power is what's keeping you moving at a constant speed. In other words, I'm feeding power to the Wave Road, which, in turn, is going to keep you at this same speed until you want to stop."

"Alright," the boy replied as he stopped his running and saw that he was, in fact, still moving at the same speed. "Is there anything else that I should know while we're still traveling to AMAKEN?"

"Sure, I might as well tell you a bit more about the Wave Roads. I'm going to need to do something in order to pass the time while we're getting there, anyway."

So for the next fifteen minutes, Omega taught Geo everything he knew about the Wave Roads. He told him how he was able to easily get from one place to another without having to wait in some kind of cramped car and how he could try and make himself run at level three speed by himself, although he adamantly went against it.

By the time he was done with the explanation, they were almost at AMAKEN. It was only a good minute or two away with nothing possibly getting in there way up here on the Wave Roads.

_I guess a kid like me can get used to this_, Geo thought with a smile on his face. _Just think about it: Me being able to go anywhere I want to go in a blink of an eye. That would be great. Then again, this will be helpful if I ever find myself in a scuffle with another Wave being. Let's just hope that it doesn't happen today._


	32. Simple Battle Training

Hello everybody! Sorry that this story has taken so long to be updated. I forgot to mention in my last update for this story that I'm primarily going to be working on this during the summer. I consider this story my "Summer Story," so I will only have my mind on it during the summer time. Don't worry, this is far from dead. Sorry for the obscenely long update to those who have been waiting ever so patiently for this to be updated. In so saying, thank you for sticking so long with it.

P.S.,

This is basically a chapter to help me get back into writing this for when summer comes around. Until it comes, I won't be updating this story very frequently as my other pieces of story I'm currently also working on. If you want to read my other story while you wait, it's name is "The Core of Crisis". It's a Final Fantasy VII story for those of you who have not read it yet. For those of you who have read it, thank you for doing so. For those of you who haven't, please read and review it. Don't forget to review this new chapter, too, before you run off to my other story.

Thanks again for being so patient with me on this story and don't expect another update until near the beginning of summer. Sorry! Read and review please!

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Chapter 32: Basic Battle Training**

When the two of them finally made it just outside the borderlines of the AMAKEN building, they noticed that it was completely occupied by the Satella Police. Apparently, they were still conducting their investigation, for a number of them seemed to be huddled around where some scorch marks had appeared during their battle with Cygnus Wing and various other spots where the battle did damage, and did not seem to be leaving the place anytime soon.

"Geez, these police guys don't ever seem to take a break, do they?" Omega asked rhetorically as he gave off an annoyed sigh. "It's like they just stay in hiding for a while and then decide to pop up out of nowhere and start investigating when something serious like yesterday happens. This is definitely going to make it harder for us to get inside the building undetected with them here."

"You got that right," Geo admitted with a sigh as he crouched down at the edge of the Wave Road and began to scan the area around the vicinity of the building to see where the plain, gray-uniformed people were positioned at. "I'm sure that they're not going to let anyone except the AMAKEN workers and themselves inside at a time like this. I'll take a guess and say that there are a whole bunch of them inside as well, checking out the damage done to the computers themselves.

"They usually continue with their scan for viruses a few days after an incident like yesterday," he continued with a light annoyed click of his tongue. "With that said, they always bring in a whole bunch of high-tech equipment meant for detecting and catching viruses near the investigation area with them. Keeping all that in mind, we're going to have a pretty hard time just to get in there."

"Well, don't they just love making it harder for us to get in there when we really need to?" the Wave being said with strong sarcasm clearly heard in his voice. "It sounds like we're going to have to find another way in other than the old 'go through the wall and ground' way."

"Maybe not," the boy stated thoughtfully as he tapped on of his fingers on his knee. "If we can't just go through the walls, then how about we try out the old fashioned 'sneak through the ranks' technique? I don't think that they'll be able to catch us if we keep on the move and avoid them."

"Hey, you're starting to have the same mindset as me. I like it. In fact, that was pretty much the same thing that I was planning on doing, although not exactly within the same context. I was kind of thinking that we should try to find a break in their ranks, just like you suggested; a weak point in their defense so we can have a better chance at getting in without them seeing us."

"Then we should go on through the roof. It doesn't seem to be as protected as the ground area, so that seems like our best bet. I don't think, though, that we'll be able to get through them without getting caught. As long as there's even one member of the Satella Police situated on the roof, they'll be able to notice us, thanks to the special devices that warns them about any oncoming EM Wave Viruses they have on them at all times."

"Darn, that sounds like it's going to be a bit of a headache," Omega grumbled so softly, Geo almost missed the words and mistaken the sound to be a low growl. "So much for trying to sneak our way in without getting caught. There's never a simple and easy way to do things, is there?"

"Since when has there ever been one, Omega?" the boy simply shrugged as he got up from his crouching position and scratched his left shoulder thoughtfully. "The way I see it, it's just another small challenge that we have to participate in before we can achieve what we really need to do. It shouldn't be too much of a challenge if we just concentrate and keep our focus on getting past it."

"Well, that's a nice way to see it. So, do you think you're ready to get on with this test and break through their ranks?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. Just promise me that you won't go and shoot at them once they find and decide to shoot at us. They don't know any better and are just trying to do their jobs."

"Trust me, that thought didn't even cross my mind until you mentioned it. I had no intention of trying to hurt them. Actually, I think we can use this to out advantage. We can use this as a way to practice some battle skills and get ourselves ready for the next attack caused by those FM-ians."

"Hey, I thought you said that we weren't going to be shooting at them, Omega!" the boy reminded the Wave being in a sharp tone. "We're not going to be trying to refine our fighting skills on them."

"Uh, that's not what I was trying to suggest, Geo," the Wave being stated plainly. "What I'm trying to say here is that we can use this opportunity to try and get a bit of practice in our dodging skills. The last time I checked, dodging was considered a battle skill, and a very key one at that."

"Oh, that's what you meant," he said sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "When you said battle skills, I automatically thought about actual fighting between two people or groups. I forgot that battle skills also applies to things like dodging. Sorry for snapping at you like that."

"Forget about it. So are you up to it or do you just want to run right into the building?"

"Well, I think I'm going to need all the practice that I can get at this point. I don't know when the next attack by one of those FM-ians is going to happen, so I better get myself as prepared as I can get. Plus, the more I learn about fighting in this form, the better I can fight against them and protect myself at the same time."

"Then let's hurry up and get going. We're not going to be getting any practice nor are we going anywhere by just standing around here talking."

"Alright, let's go!"

With a deep breath, Geo began to run at normal speed on the Wave Roads and closed the distance between him and AMAKEN. He kept most of his attention on the Satella Police rather than the path itself because he wanted to know when they were able to notice their presence. A couple of seconds later, one of them on the ground area began to act frantic and fumble for something in his pocket.

"I've confirmed the presence of a EM Wave Virus, sir!" the man exclaimed as he pulled his hand out of his pocket and had in his hand what seemed to be a hand pistol with some kind of small square object on it and began to look at it. "It seems to be heading to our position."

"Really?" a familiar voice questioned. "Where is it?"

"It's traveling somewhere above us, sir," the officer stated as he continued to look intently at the device in his hands.

"Oh, don't tell me that Copper guy is here!" Omega growled in frustration as he and Geo were just about above the roof of the AMAKEN building. "I swear, he's like a very annoying kid; you can't get rid of him no matter how hard you try. That and he always manages to be right where we're at or are planning to go to."

"He's pretty much like a piece of very sticky gum under my shoe," Geo sighed as he stopped running once he reached the top of the building. "It's like he's stuck to me no matter where I go."

"How would you like us to approach this, sir?" they heard the officer ask Detective Copper.

"The same way we always try to handle it, shoot it down," the detective ordered the man. "We can't risk it entering the building and causing more trouble."

"Understood, sir!" the man replied as he readied his handgun device and began to aim it right at Geo.

"It looks like that thing on his gun allows him to see where I'm at," the boy said thoughtfully as he saw the man along with the detective motion to the others on the ground and radio in to others that were out of their vocal range. "Nice to know that they're not going to be shooting blindly."

"That just means that it's going to be a better practice session for you," Omega stated with a smile. "Let me hurry up and explain a bit while they're busy trying to get together down there. Make sure you try to keep your eyes on the shots that are coming at you. That's the most effective way to dodge their attacks. Also, make sure that you really keep your eyes on your surroundings. It wouldn't do for you to be paying too much attention on the attacks you can see and get hit by one from behind. You have to stay vigilant and be wary of your surroundings while trying to dodge their attacks at the same time."

"That definitely sounds harder you make it seem," the boy replied as he saw the officers finish grouping together and aim their weapons at the two of them. "I'll try to keep all that in mind while they're shooting at me. But how am I going to be dodging up in the air?"

"Don't you worry about that," the Wave being stated. "I'll take care of that. You just worry about dodging all those shots directed at us. Just pretend like you're on solid ground and sidestep away from them like you normally do. You'll understand once we actually get into it."

"Okay, if you say so, Omega."

"Ready your weapons, men!" Detective Copper's loud voice commanded the officers as the ones on the ground and the roof readied their Wave handguns and had them trained at Geo and Omega. "Steady, and…fire!"

"Time to go, kid!" Omega stated in a cocky fashion. "Jump off the Wave Road and onto the roof."

"Got it," Geo acknowledged as he did what he was told and began to free-fall towards the AMAKEN roof.

At the same time he jumped off the road, a whole barrage of bullets came flying towards him. Actually, they were more like thin compacted streaks of light than bullets. Either way, they were small like a regular bullet and were probably just as painful, if not deadly, something that the two of them did not want to find out anytime soon.

"Start dodging like normal, Geo," the Wave being instructed the boy as the first few bullets were only seconds away from their position.

Doing as he was told, he tried to sidestep away from the bullets as if he were still on some kind of solid ground. To his amazement, he actually moved towards the side with the greatest of ease and the first set of bullets near him whizzed harmlessly past his body and towards the empty blue skies where they soon dissipated due to the distance between it and the gun

"That's pretty much it," Omega said, his smile clearly being projected through his voice. "Normal sidestep while in the air. With my help, that's more than possible. Just keep doing that until we reach the ground. Get ready to dodge again. Here comes the second half of the first volley."

Just like last time, Geo simply dodged these bullets by sidestepping in the air again. Once again, they went harmlessly past him and dissipated just like the earlier ones.

"Roof Squadron, fire at will!" Detective Copper ordered the few men that were on the roof. They all complied and began to fire at the two.

"Careful, this is close-range," the Wave being warned. "Try jumping backwards to dodge these."

Without any time to think or question his words, Geo did as he was told and jumped back just as the bullets were about to make contact with his lower legs. As if he were on solid flat ground, he felt his body move in a directly horizontal fashion, putting him in a safe distance away from the bullets.

"Wow," the boy simply said in astonishment. "I never knew that I could do things like this in the air while in this form. This is way too cool!"

"If you think that's cool, then why don't you look down a bit? I'm sure you'll find something just as equally cool."

With an amazed smile on his face, Geo stole a look underneath him to see what Omega was talking about. Almost immediately, he noticed something different. He was no longer falling towards the AMAKEN roof; he was now suspended in mid-air! He was simply floating on the air as if he were being held up by nothing but thin wires.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed with great excitement bubbling up inside him. "Not only can I move around in the air, I can also float in it as if it were nothing. This is way beyond cool!"

"I thought you like it," Omega stated as he heard and ignored Detective Copper's loud commanding voice. "You see, I can manipulate the waves around us so we can do stuff like this. As long as we're not too tired from some extenuating battle, I'm able to allow you to dodge things in mid-air and let you stay suspended in the air."

"This is just so amazing! What other things can we do while in this form?"

"Unfortunately, I think that's all we can do. I believe we've already dug up everything that we can possibly do in this form. Anyway, I think that's enough training for now, wouldn't you say?"

"Aw, but I want to try out this dodging in mid-air thing some more," Geo whined like a little kid.

"As much as would like for this to continue, I don't think now is a good time," Omega said as he indicated with his head for the boy to look at the crowd of officers on the ground. "I don't think the good detective down there has the patience to play around with us right now."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about him," the boy stated with a sigh as he looked at the indicated direction and saw the detective and his men prepare for another volley of bullets. "I guess, then, that it's time for us to get inside and to find a safe place to change before they really start to get serious with us."

"Then let's get going," the Wave being nodded as he allowed the boy to restart his descent towards the roof. "We'll pass right through the roof and land on the floor right under it, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," he said just as the sounds of more wave bullets coming his way were heard.

For the rest of the descent, Geo spent the time practicing his dodging skills with the bullets that were being directed at him. He had gotten a good thirty seconds of nonstop practice before he had reached the roof and effortlessly went through the floor with the help of Omega.

"Sir, the virus has entered the building!" one of the officers on the roof exclaimed in an urgent voice over his radio.

"Darn!" a frustrated Detective Copper huffed as he slammed his right fist, which was still holding onto his Wave gun, into his open left palm. "Radio in to the men inside and have them locate and destroy the virus! Tell them to make sure that it doesn't escape, no matter what!"

"Yes, sir!" the officer acknowledged as he cut off his link to the detective and began to radio in the new command to the ones that were situated inside the building.

"What in the world is going on here?" the detective asked in a very frustrated tone. "These viruses just don't know when to give up. They already infiltrated AMAKEN twice within the past two days. This time, it decides to strike while its main defenses are down! Just what are they aiming to do, wreak havoc across Echo Ridge until everything is destroyed? Well, I won't let them have their way. I'm going to find and destroy each and every one of them! But first, I have to take care of this one before I go searching for the others."

With that said, the detective readied his gun again and decided to wait outside with his men, waiting for when the virus would make its way out of the building in an attempt to flee. It was then he was going to catch it and do away with it once and for all, thus ending its destructive terrorism.

* * *

Sorry for having you all wait for a new chapter again. I will be updating by the time Summer comes around, so sit tight until then. If you don't want to just sit and wait for this story, then you can go ahead and read my other story, "The Core of Crisis". Thanks again for staying with this story. See you in the next update. Don't forget to leave a review!


	33. A Simple Request

**Chapter 33: A Simple Request**

After Geo and Omega passed through the roof of AMAKEN, they found themselves on the top floor of the building. This particular floor, as Geo remembered from his frequent visits here, was where all of the AMAKEN scientist's offices were located. They were currently standing in a foyer area where there was a big open space with a lot of cushioned benches placed neatly along the walls and in the center of the room. To make it give off a more homey feel, a few potted plants were placed ornamentally next to the wall benches and a small box of white and yellow flowers separated a few of the center benches.

"Wow, they sure put in quite a bit of effort in making it all homey and nice-looking," Omega said as he stared at the décor. "It kind of makes you feel like you're not only at home but also at work at the same time. It kind of gives everything a nice relaxing mood to it."

"It does have that kind of effect, doesn't it?" "Geo asked with a small smile as he began to move his feet. "Unfortunately, we don't have time to be looking around. I'm sure Detective Copper has already told the officers in this building about us being in here. We better hurry and get to Aaron's office and change back into our normal selves before we get caught."

"Good idea," the Wave being agreed with a nod of his head. "Do you know where his office is?"

"I think it's somewhere on this floor," the boy replied thoughtfully. "I haven't been to his office a lot, so I can't really be sure. But I do know that its somewhere on this floor. If I'm remembering right, he should have a placard on the front of his door that has his name on it."

"Then let's get searching. The sooner we find him, the quicker we'll be able to get out of this trouble with the Satella Police."

For the next couple of minutes, they wandered down the hallways in search of Aaron's office, all while in their Wave form in case they needed to make a quick escape through the walls from a Wave police that might have been patrolling the floor. Thankfully, they did not have to do such a thing for the floor seemed to be completely devoid of people. They soon found what they were looking for and were happy that nobody was nearby at the moment.

"Well, we're finally here," Geo announced as he stopped right in front of the door. "We made it back to Aaron's office. Do you think that it's safe to unmerge ourselves now before going in?"

"Let's first make sure that the guy's even in there," Omega suggested thoughtfully as he continued to scan the hallway from both directions. "I don't want to go and cancel our transformation and then having to end up transforming back again in the next second just to dodge the police. Besides, it takes time for me to recover the energy needed to perform a Wave Change, so I'd rather we wait before we unmerge. I'll just go ahead and shift us into the real form so you can go knocking on the door."

Before the boy had a chance to agree to the plan, though, the door to Aaron's office suddenly opened, thus effectively startling both of them. Suddenly, Aaron himself came out of his office and had his back towards them as he made sure that he locked the door. He then turned around and simply walked through the two of them as if they were not there.

"Whoa!" the boy exclaimed in surprise at both the sudden appearance of the man and how he had just walked through him so easily. "Uh, that…was kind of freaky right there."

"Well, it's time to start getting over your shock, kid," the Wave being playfully teased his partner. "He's getting away from us. I'm changing us to the real form now, so go ahead and grab his attention."

"Oh, okay. I got it."

Before he called out to the man, though, he decided to wait a couple of seconds. He wanted to give the Wave being some time to initiate the change and he did not want to sound like he was rushing him. After he felt he waited for an adequate amount of time, he decided to try and talk to Aaron in a normal tone.

"Aaron!" he called out, startling the man and forcing him to stop in his tracks. "Behind you."

Instinctively, the man turned around upon hearing his name being called from somewhere behind him. In so doing, he was now able to see Geo and Omega in their Merged Form; Geo's free hand was waving slightly at him a bit in greeting in a somewhat shy manner.

"Geo!" Aaron exclaimed in surprise as he took in a sharp breath. "What are you doing here? No, forget that. More importantly, how did you manage to get past the Satella Police stationed around here?"

"Uh, we just kind of rushed right through their defenses and made sure we didn't get hit by any of their weapons," the boy explained somewhat sheepishly while the Wave being on his arm just gave a cocky half-grin. "I'm sure, though, that they're all now searching everywhere inside this building. Do you think that you can take us somewhere where we can talk in private without being caught by one of them? I don't think it would go well if one of the police guys saw me in here."

"Hmm, agreed," the man acknowledged as he thought for a couple of seconds. "I'm right now going to my basement lab. Not even the police have direct access to the place, so it should be quite private for the three of us to talk. Come on; let's hurry before we run into one of the police members."

Without saying another word, the man started to lead the two, still in their merged form, down the hallway and towards the employee elevator that was not even thirty seconds away. He summoned it with the help of his ID card and the doors opened immediately. He then motioned for Geo and Omega to enter first before going in himself. As the doors closed, he placed his ID card into the card reader and the elevator started to move towards its destination underground.

"Nobody else is going to be coming in this elevator, right Aaron?" Geo asked as he looked at the numbers at the top of the door counting down as they passed by each floor.

"Since I used my ID card to get to the underground lab, there shouldn't be any stops in between," the man explained as he looked at the young boy. "It's a clear path from here on out."

"Then let's hurry up and get out of this form," Omega said as he turned his head to look at his partner. "Don't forget that those cop guys have something on them that allows them to track wherever it is that we're at in here."

"Oh, I almost forgot about that," Geo replied as he winced a bit. "Let's go ahead and unmerge in here."

In a brief second, a small white flash of light temporarily engulfed the entire elevator. Aaron was forced to shield his eyes for a brief moment until it had died down. When he uncovered his eyes, he saw that the boy had changed back into his original form and was now wearing his normal clothing comprised of blue shorts along with a plain blue shirt. It was almost as though he had been like this the whole time and had never been in the Wave armor that he had on earlier.

"Alright, this should help take some of the heat off of our tails for a couple of minutes," Geo said as he took out his Star Carrier that was still inside his pants pocket. "Hopefully, we'll be able to ditch the cops now that they don't have anything to go by in order to find us in here."

"Don't worry about it," Omega assured the boy, his voice being clearly projected from inside the device. "As long as we don't do something that emits a high Wave frequency, like being in the Merged Form, they shouldn't be able to find us, much less track us down in here."

"Simply amazing!" Aaron whispered as he looked on at the pair from the corner of the elevator. "In all of my years working here at AMAKEN as a scientist, I never would've thought that something like this would be at all possible. To think that a normal human is able to merge himself with a denizen of the Wave World in order to create an entirely different being… Simply astounding."

"Well, don't get yourself too amazed at this, Aaron," the Wave being stated as he gave a small snort. "I'm sure you're probably going to be seeing a lot more of this stuff in the near future; especially since the other Wave beings that had chased me all the way here are hiding somewhere on this planet. You're bound to see more Merged Forms running about here; none of them as friendly and nice as the one you just saw us transform out of in here."

"You know, you just reminded me of something, Omega," the boy said as his face gave off a thoughtful look. "I've been meaning to ask you about something ever since the night we first met and had our discussion. You've told me yesterday that you were being chased and sought after by other Wave beings that you say are part of the FM King's Royal Guard. For what reason would they have to chase you so deeply into our galaxy? If I remember correctly, you said that your planet lies just along the edges of this very galaxy. I would imagine that it wasn't easy to get all the way here with them following so closely behind you."

"Oh, it definitely wasn't the easiest thing I've done in my entire life. Just to learn to always act as serious as I have been now was easier than that; and that's saying something. I hated having to be serious all the time."

"Then why do you sometimes still act like that if you hate it?" Geo asked as he brought his Star Carrier up to his face so he could see the Wave being inside it. "It doesn't really make a lot of sense to me."

"Eh, force of habit, I guess," Omega simply said as he shrugged his armored shoulders. "Being forced to put up a farce for almost an entire year kind of makes it stick with you, whether you like it or not. Don't worry; I'm sure I'll be back to my somewhat laidback self once I spend some more quality time with you, kid."

"Hey, I thought you were going to stop calling me 'kid?' Whatever happened to that promise?"

"Well, I just happen to like the sound of it. I think that it kind of makes a good nickname for you."

"Oh…, At least you're not going to be using it for dejecting purposes like you did when we first met."

"Uh, I hate to interrupt the two of you," Aaron suddenly cut in as he was pointing to the now open elevator doors, "but we've arrived at the underground lab. I suggest that we get out of here and conduct whatever business you have with me as quickly as possible."

"Uh, sorry Aaron," Geo apologized as he walked out of the elevator while rubbing the back of his head a bit with his free hand. "I guess I just got caught up in the conversation with Omega."

"That's alright, Geo," the man said with a smile as the elevator doors closed behind him and he immediately made his way towards his desk chair. "Normally, I wouldn't be in so much of a rush with you, but don't forget that I'm still a part of the investigation over yesterday's incident here. I don't know how long it'll be before I'm called up to help or check up on something."

"In other words, you want us to cut to the chase now that we're here, right?" the Wave being confirmed. "I suppose we could do that. Besides, the two of us aren't even supposed to be in here in the first place. It's not like we just waltzed right through the front doors and let the police know that we're in here."

"Well, let me get started by telling you the first reason why I came here," the boy said as he began to state his reasons for coming. "I wanted to return this to you and see how you were doing right now."

Upon saying that, Geo pulled out the Transer ID he still had on him from his pocket. He then held it out to Aaron, who took it into his hands and looked at it for a moment.

"My AMAKEN Transer ID," Aaron observed as he took the device into his hands. "I'd forgotten that you still had it on you. Thank you for bringing it back to me.

"And yes, I'm doing very well right now. Thank you for asking," he continued on to answer the boy's question as he pocketed his ID Transer. "Except for the occasional confusing things that have surfaced every now and then, everything is as great as it could be. Everyone seems to be on edge, though, ever since yesterday. I can't really blame them for feeling like that."

"Well, from what I heard, this place is like a state-of-the-art building meant for designing and creating ways to defend society from Wave viruses," Omega said thoughtfully as he remembered the conversation he had with Geo concerning the building just last night. "Even I would probably feel a bit scared if something like that happened back on my home planet."

"Anyway, how about we move onto your second reason for visiting me in such a dire time? I'm sure that it must be something important if you would choose to visit me while I'm terribly busy. Don't get me wrong; I don't mind when you visit me. It's just that I don't have a lot of time on my hands during days like this when you come to see me."

"I know, and I'm sorry again for taking up your time," Geo apologized as he gave off an apologetic smile. "Uh, the second reason I came here was because I needed to ask you about something. It kind of concerns me and Omega while we're in our Merged Form."

"Is something wrong with it, Geo?"

"Oh no, nothing like that, Aaron. Everything's going great and working fine with it. It's just that I can't help but to feel somewhat concerned whenever I think about having to go and fight in our next battle."

"And why would you be concerned about something like that?" the Wave being asked in a tone laced with confusion. "Are you still having some doubts about your abilities? I already told you; you're better than you're giving yourself credit for. Don't shortchange yourself."

"That's not what I'm trying to say here. What I'm thinking here is our assortment of weapons. All we really have to work with is the Buster Gun that we have on us. We really don't have anything else to work with. Sure, we've managed to take care of the past two FM-ians with it, but I was thinking if we would be able to make the job somewhat easier if Aaron could create some Wave weapons for us. I don't want to keep on relying on our main weapon and end up having to come up with more on-the-spur ideas on how to use it."

"…I hate to say it, but you're right on that. It would be good to have some extra weapons on us. Actually, now that I think about it, I only came up with that move that defeated Cygnus Wing on the spur of the moment. I don't think I'll be able to come up with more lucky ideas like that very often. I guess having Aaron create some kind of secondary weapon for us would be the best thing for us."

"You want me to create weapons that both you and Omega can use in the Wave World?" Aaron clarified as he thought deeply on the topic. "Hmm, you two sure know how to give me challenges, you know that? First, it was the discovery and decoding of the Wave Data fragment of you two that was found a few days ago. Then, it was me figuring out about you two merging together. Now, you would like for me to create weapons for you that can only be used in the Wave World. Boy, you two just throw one challenge after another at me."

"Uh, sorry about that, Aaron," Geo apologized as he gave a small shrug. "I know we're kind of asking a lot of you right now. You've already done a lot for us, what with not giving out the findings of the Wave Data fragment that was from us and keeping our secret."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," the man stated as he laughed a bit. "I was just teasing you. I actually do like the challenges that you've been giving me the past few days, even though it is something that hardly should constitute for excitement. It actually gives me something else to do other than the standard AMAKEN and Satella Police business. It's quite a refresher, to be honest with you."

"So, are you saying that you are going to take up Geo's request and make some weapons for the two of us to use?" Omega asked as his smile was easily projected through his words.

"Yes… Yes, I believe I'll do it. I'm sure you won't mind, though, if I decide to use your idea and fuse it with a couple of my own, right?"

"Of course not," the boy said with a smile. "If my ideas can help you create more useful things for the world, then go ahead and use it. You don't need to ask me for permission."

"Unfortunately, the rules for making new inventions that have some kind of relation to the Wave World says otherwise," Aaron continued on. "They always require that we ask the originator of the idea for their permission before starting on the creation on any projects that involve the Wave World."

"Okay, that just sounds totally stupid," the Wave being said with an exasperated sigh. "Why would you need to ask permission to borrow someone's idea for an invention? I would understand if you were borrowing the invention itself in order to create something new; but why do you have to do it with just a simple idea that hasn't even been put into actual play yet?"

"Well, I'm sure you already know by now, Omega, that Earth is quite sensitive on anything that has to do with the Wave World. With that said, the authorities want to know who had the original idea for a Wave product. That way, if anything should go wrong, they can go to the creator of the product himself and get them to say who came up with the initial idea."

And what if the person doesn't want to rat out on their friend?"

"Then they'll just strap them onto some small machine that knows how to extract certain information from people's heads."

"But wouldn't that be considered an invasion of privacy?"

"You would be right if we were talking about normal inventions. However, anything regarding the Wave World is far from normal, at least in the vast majority of society's eyes."

"Yeesh, this planet really needs to take a chill pill. All of you guys are too wind up for your own good. All this pressure and tension is bound to kill you all at some point."

"Try telling that to the people who run the world-wide Wave security force," Geo stated with a sigh. "With all the new types of defenses they come up with, whether or not with the help of AMAKEN or other big-name science facilities of the world, it's no wonder we're all starting to become paranoid about all this.

"Anyway, we're kind of getting a bit off-track here," the boy continued on as he started to redirect the flow of the conversation back to the reason as to why they were even here. "So how long do you think it'll take before we'll be able to have some Wave weapons customized by you Aaron?"

"It's kind of hard to say right now," Aaron admitted as he picked up a clipboard that was lying on the table and read the contents on it. "I have an idea on how to create them, but I'll need some time to run some tests in order to see if they work. If I can find some time between this investigation and the internal affairs of AMAKEN, I would say that it could take around a couple of days. If I get really lucky today and don't have a lot to do, then I might actually be done by late today. It all depends on my luck today, though."

"Well, as long as you can try to make them for us, I don't care on how long it'll take for them to be made," Omega replied with a smile being projected in his voice. "I really can't wait, though, to see what kind of weapons you'll be making."

Suddenly, there was a beeping sound coming from somewhere in the room. Aaron made the first move and reached for his Star Carrier that was in his jacket pocket. After looking at it for a couple of seconds, he pocketed the device and started to head back to the elevator.

"Sorry boys, but I got to attend to some other business," the man explained as he stopped short from pressing the button and quickly made his way to the nearest computer. "Apparently, they want me to test out the new security system my team created after yesterday's virus scare. I suggest that you both get out of here before we start. I can't guarantee your safety once we start; especially yours, Omega."

"I suppose you're right," the Wave being replied with a small sigh. "I'm guessing that we already took a lot of your time already anyway."

"Not at all; it was really a nice change of pace after working almost non-stop," he stated as he pressed a few buttons on the computer before moving back to the elevator. "Anyway, you shouldn't have any trouble getting out undetected by the Satella Police."

"And what makes you say that?" Geo asked as he moved up next to Aaron. "I don't think that they could miss us trying to get out of here."

"Well, you didn't hear this from me, but I sent out a small Wave pulse to disrupt all of their equipment. It's not large enough to cause damage; it'll just knock them out while making it look like they're still working. It'll only last for a few minutes, though, so you might want to start going now."

"Wow, I didn't think that you actually had the guts to sabotage the polices' equipment like that. Thanks for that little advantage."

"Not a problem," Aaron said as the elevator arrived and he entered it. "If you want, you can come back tonight and see if the weapons are ready. Patrols should be lessened around here by then."

"Alright; I'll see you later then, Aaron," Geo said as he gave a small wave to the man before the doors closed. They then heard the sound of the machine moving upwards towards the ground and upper levels.

* * *

Hello everybody! Here's another delayed update to this story. Sorry, but most of my attention has been drawn to my new story that I have created. Some of you might have read it; for those of you who haven't, the title of it is "Jak and Daxter: The Altered Journey". As with most of my other stories, it is an adventure-based story. After you have read and possibly reviewed this chapter, maybe you can go on and read my new story and review that one.

Anyway, I hope you like this new chapter. Until the next update form either of my stories! don't forget to leave a review!


	34. Author's Note

This is simply an author's note. I'm just here to say that I am currently rewriting this story from the beginning to the point where I stopped. I promise you all, the rewrite will a better than this current one that I started a couple of years ago.

Sorry to those of you who have been waiting for a long time for an update and haven't been given one. For the time being, I'm rewriting it while keeping to the original with new stuff added to it at times. I will keep this story up while I make another story that will pose as a rewrite. That way, you may all go ahead and compare the two for anything should you so wish to do so.

Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait and I thank everybody who have been waiting ever so patiently for my updates. I hope that all of you will all read my rewrite and will enjoy it as much as my original or maybe even more than that.

Hope to see you all reading and reviewing my rewrite of this story. Don't forget to read my other stories while you wait if you just can't really wait. Until my next update on any of my stories, later everybody!


	35. Another Author's Note After Two Years

Hello, everybody! This is just another author's note. I've noticed that I've accidentally abandoned this story two years ago ever since I started college. Apparently, college was a lot more hectic than I thought, and this story had since accidentally left my mind. I know my last note said that I was working on some rewrites, but those had to be abandoned in respect to my integration to college life. Of course, that caused me to forget about this and to move on to other stories. So sorry for having abandon all the fans who still read and like this story.

With that said, I'll now be taking some time from my other stories to start with my chapter rewrites. I did reread some of my chapters and noticed how bad my writing was compared from then and now. My characters really talked too much, especially at key points where it just bogged the story down. But I was eighteen then and did not have any college writing experience. Now that I do, I hope that these chapters will become better than they were the first time around and a lot less bogged down with conversations.

Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait and I thank everybody who have been waiting ever so patiently for my updates. I hope that all of you will all read my rewrite and will enjoy it as much as my original or maybe even more than that.

Hope to see you all reading and reviewing my rewrite of this story. Don't forget to read my other stories while you wait if you just can't really wait. Until my next update on any of my stories, later everybody!


	36. Last Author's Note: Rewrite Now Posted!

Okay, this is the very last author's note for this story. Just telling you all who have read the author's note on this that the first chapter of this rewritten story has just been posted on here. However, I posted it under a different title. The story is now called, "Star Force: The Wave War." I figured it'd sound better than "Star Force Adventures" since it's going to retain the same plot as the original and have a lot of battle scenes and not that much actual traveling like from one land to the other.

But yeah, just a friendly little heads-up for those who are interested in reading my rewrite for this story. Once again, I'm sorry for having accidentally abandoning this story. I suddenly became busy trying to adapt to college life two years ago to the point that I forgot all about this and came up with other story ideas. After all, college is always more important than anything.

In hindsight, I'm actually glad that this ended up being abandoned. By that, I mean that it allowed to me reread my work and notice that the way I wrote two years ago was completely different to now since I now have a couple years of college experience in fiction writing now. With that in mind, I hope to make this story a lot better than it was the first time around. Hope to see you old fans as well as the new ones on there.

However, this story will stay up since this is the only place where my original writings for this story now exist. The original flash drive that all these chapters were in got a virus in it last year and no longer exists. As such, you'll still be seeing this old story on here for a while until I've caught up and rewritten and/or deleted the chapters. Thanks for being patient for those who have waited for updates on this story, and I hope you all like the new version!


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